


Flower

by PilindielTheElf



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers Tower, Board Games, Developing Friendships, Fluff and Angst, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hydra (Marvel), I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Mild Language, SHIELD, Survivor Guilt, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 36
Words: 48,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24844927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PilindielTheElf/pseuds/PilindielTheElf
Summary: After a life-changing accident four years ago, Elena Fan locked herself away from the world. She never intended to reenter it, but fate has other ideas. One moment she's alone in the dark, and the next she's with... the Avengers?
Kudos: 3





	1. Daffodil

Once upon a time, Elena Fan would have called flowers beautiful. She would have even called life a wondrous thing. Nowadays, she hated it. She hated all the cells that wriggled around in humans, animals, plants, everything. If she could go back in time, Elena would have forfeited her long awaited education at medical school. She would have given up on being a doctor if it meant she could lead a normal life. 

Screwing her eyes shut, Elena clutched onto a blanket. She tried to ignore the heavy weight in her chest, the rapid spin of her head. Four years ago, the accident happened. And four years ago, her life had changed. 

Time didn’t seem to make anything better. Each second of the day felt like a stab to the heart, and every minute a never ending nightmare. She didn’t seem to get a break, though closed eyes did help. Even sleep tortured, eluding her with the plague of dreams. 

Elena scrounged her brain for the memories of the past. She clawed at it to the flesh, trying to remember what people looked like, what flowers looked like. It was all in vain, and she came up with nothing. Not a single trace. With a start, Elena cried out when she realized she was seeing their cells instead. 

Her eyes flew open, and Elena jumped up. She stared down at her hands, turning them over in anguish. Tears spilled from her eyes at the sight of the millions of cells, the working organelles in each and every one of them. She sucked in a breath, looking up at the ceiling. 

She began to count the tiles, but there was no need. She already knew there were sixty-three of them. Seven rows of nine. She had counted them, double checked, triple checked, and even quadruple checked. 

Moving to stand in front of a mirror, Elena winced at her disheveled form. It was the only way she could see herself normally. Her hair was a tangled mess, her tresses pinned up in a bun that hadn’t been fixed for at least a week. It was a pain to have it down. She hated seeing her cells fly over her eyes, but she felt horrible just chopping her hair off, ending the purpose of the millions of cells that dwelled in each strand. Elena reached up a hand, touching the cold glass. 

She tried to hold back a sob, but she failed miserably. Her body trembled, and she let her eyes close. She hated it. She hated everything. 

It was just so much. 

Elena screamed, pushing her fists into the glass of the mirror. It shattered, and her knuckles bled. She fell onto her knees, staring at her fists. The red blood cells streamed out, dribbling onto the sharp glass, now littered with specks. She cried at the white blood cells, dropping her hands to the ground. 

A lock of hair fell over her face, and she shut her eyes tightly. Why did it have to be her? There were seven billion living people in the world, and she was just one. There was nothing special about her and yet she had been the one who had been cursed. Elena winced, pulling her hair out of its bun. Her wired glasses fell to the ground. Still, she was being selfish. Hundreds of people dreamed of having her ability, to be able to see cells. The world of science would have killed for it. 

Retying her hair, Elena reopened her eyes. Her bones ached, suddenly tired from her breakdown. She blinked, rubbing her hands together. The blood smeared onto her skin, strands of her hair stained red. It didn’t bother her; she couldn’t see it. Pushing off the ground, Elena was careful not to step on any of the glass shards. She reached down to retrieve her glasses. Her stomach growled. Elena paled, and she groaned. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten, much less the last time she had a decent meal. She just hated the sight of dead cells. Somehow seeing them lifeless was worse than seeing them alive and moving. She couldn’t even dare to swallow the live cells with ease. 

Her dark eyes wandered to the apartment door, and she bit down on her lip. She reached for the door and hesitated. Did she really have to go out? She wondered how much longer she could last without food. Swallowing, Elena cringed at herself. 

Four years ago, she would have been so infuriated at herself. She was a doctor. She knew the consequences of malnutrition, and she knew them well. The highest marks of her class didn’t come from improvisation and lack of work. Turning, Elena reached for a roll of bandages that sat in a drawer. She gritted her teeth as she cleaned her knuckles, wrapping them tightly. It was almost a relief to be treating someone even if it was herself. She missed it. 

Quickly changing into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, Elena grabbed a jacket and slowly walked out of her apartment. She stumbled back at a giant glob of cells, shaking her head as she reached up to rub her temples. 

“Just a perfectly normal human being,” she whispered to herself, turning away. “Nothing new there.” 

Elena pulled up her hood, taking the stairs down to ground level. Stepping outside, she was met with sunlight. She blinked and let her eyes adjust. Elena gulped down a breath. She chose a random direction and began to walk. After a few moments, Elena jerked to a stop. She blinked as if she was opening her eyes for the first time. Muttering, she sighed. Her stupid feet had decided to take her to Central Park, once her favorite place in all of the world. Standing in the middle of the sidewalk, several people walked past her, paying her no attention. Elena saw every one of them, each person’s DNA slightly different from each other. 

It was a skill she had obtained, memorizing DNA at a quick glance. She was fascinated during the first few days after the accident. Elena took a seat on a bench. She had taken upon herself to stop every person around her to point out their mutations, their flaws and diseases. She chuckled though there was no humor in it. Her former friends had taken a grand disliking to her critiques and recommendations. 

They thought she was crazy. There was no such thing as being able to see every individual cell. It was impossible. No one believed she could do it anyways, no matter how accurate her observations were. Elena rubbed her wrist. She had been fired promptly, and since then, she had no job. Nothing to do with her life. It was surprising how long she had lasted with no salary, but Elena supposed a doctor’s salary had its benefits. 

Her stomach growled again, and Elena sighed. Standing, she stretched, letting the warm sun warm her skin. She shivered, the heat not quite reaching her insides. Nursing her knuckles, Elena closed her eyes and began to walk. 

She cleared her throat, finding it incredibly dry much like the aftermath of yelling in a nightclub. Elena inclined her head, biting down on her tongue. She hadn’t been yelling though, and she definitely hadn’t talked to anyone in—how long had it been since she had a conversation with someone? Three years? Elena hesitated. That couldn’t be right. 

Elena tenderly touched her throat. She looked down at her shoes, a thoughtful expression upon her face. She refused to believe that she had only spoken to her own consciousness for three years. Frowning, she blinked. Was that why she was parched? Because she had been talking to herself in her head? Was that even possible? 

Elena scrunched up her face, pushing her glasses up. Rubbing her temples, she shook her head. She willed in vain for her to stop thinking, but it was impossible. She pursed her lips, wondering how people managed to meditate. How was it possible to just be blank? 

Suddenly, Elena stopped in her tracks. She snapped her head up at the staggered sound that came afterwards, the sound of someone else stopping. Her senses yelled in alarm, and she turned her head only to be met with a blow to the cheek. 

She stumbled back in surprise. Raising her arm to shield herself, Elena narrowed her eyes at her attacker. Something was familiar about him, but she couldn’t tell what. She opened her mouth to scream only to be muffled by a rough hand. 

Elena widened her eyes as she struggled against her attacker. She jabbed her elbow back, feet flailing. Cells danced in front of her eyes, and for once, she didn’t care. 

“Come on.” His voice echoed in her ears. “Be still already.” 

She bit down on his hand, and he retracted it in surprise. She ducked down, lunging forward to escape his grasp. Elena spun on her heels as she regained her balance. “You’re him,” she said in realization. Elena eyed the man’s DNA. “The guy in front of my apartment.” 

Confusion flooded her senses, but it didn’t last long for the man leaped at her again. This time, she screamed. She punched the man and jumped to the side when he charged forward. She stiffened when she realized the syringe in his hand. Just what was he trying to do? 

“Hey!” a voice called out. Elena almost slumped in relief. “Let her go!” 

Elena gasped as she fell back onto the ground. She looked at her attacker in horror, and she crawled back. Whatever happened, she did not want to be stabbed with the syringe. In fact, she didn’t want anything to be stuck inside her. 

“What do you want?” she asked, gasping for air. 

She received no response as the man was tackled to the ground away from her. Her eyes widened even more at the new man. She let out a shout, stepping back. Elena flung her hand over her mouth at her outburst, and her face whitened. 

They were different, she realized almost immediately. The cells of the new man. At first glance, they were the same as any other cell. Upon closer inspection, Elena found them unusual. In the past, she would have called it a mutation, a flaw of sorts. But they weren’t. They were stronger, more powerful. They were regenerating. 

Elena wetted her lips. She shouldn’t have left her apartment, she thought. Not that day at least because whatever was about to happen to her had to be much more worse and complicated than she had ever believed possible.


	2. Begonia

Elena fell back. Landing on her behind, she rolled to the side. Everything about her screamed. Whether it was in amazement or fear, she did not know. She stared at the man of regenerating cells. Her mouth opened, closed. It wasn’t natural. It was—Elena yelped. 

The force that pulled her back was so strong she could feel her shoulder fighting from being dislocated. She kicked her feet, struggling against strong muscles. Elena yelled and elbowed him. His arms slackened, but it was not enough for her to escape. She stamped on his foot to no avail. 

Elena was pulled up to her feet, and she sucked in a breath when she realized the knife aimed at her throat and the syringe to her shoulder. Her body froze, eyes widening to saucers. She looked helplessly at the regenerating cells that stood across from her. 

“Let her go,” they said. 

“Make me" came the swift answer.

Elena didn’t even process falling to the ground for the fourth time that day. She gasped, letting out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Jumping onto her feet, Elena spun around to see a massive mound of cells. The two men struggled with each other, and Elena’s quick eyes had a hard time deciphering where one body ended and the other started. She bit her lip in frustration, rubbing her wrist. 

The movements of the two men were drastically different, she thought. Her attacker seemed to fight with precision, measuring the power of his moves and thinking ahead. The man of regenerating cells, however, fought in the moment. He saw an opening, and he went for it. There was no thought to where he was hitting nor was there any to how he was hitting. 

Elena shook her head, cursing under her breath. She looked around wildly, but there was no one else. What was she supposed to do in that situation? Fight? No, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. It was absurd to even think about it. 

Her heart raced, and Elena felt that it could leap out of her chest at any second. Sweat dripped down her forehead, gathered on the nape of her neck. She looked down at herself as she turned. Maybe it would be best to just run. And yet… 

She couldn’t. It was like her feet were glued down. Her eyes hardened as something seemed to snap inside her. What was she doing? 

Elena rammed the back of her attacker, her shoulder aching at the sheer force. He cried out in surprise, twisting around to grab her wrist. The other man took the opening, throwing a blow to the back of his head. He crumpled to the ground. 

Yelping when he fell onto her, Elena stumbled back. The body dropped onto the ground, and Elena stared at it. He wasn’t exactly knocked out cold from what she could see. Maybe a minute or two, at most five. 

“Don’t worry, he isn’t dead.” 

Elena turned, blinking. She nodded at the man, keeping her eyes on the top of the mound of cells. It was a problem not being able to see faces. She didn’t know where to look, but she’d gotten fairly good at pinpointing where the eyes were. “I know,” she said. 

Her eyes narrowed as she studied the regenerating cells. They were unlike anything she had ever seen. They were beautiful, wondrous. Elena inclined her head. She hadn’t thought that about any cell in a long time.

“Uh, are you okay?” 

Elena didn’t hear him, reaching out a hand. Her fingers touched a cell, but she drew her hand back almost immediately. Her eyes widened. “I—sorry,” she gasped. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to do that. I—” She sucked in a breath, imagining how red she must’ve looked. Elena rubbed her wrist, looking to the ground. She had forgotten that she couldn’t individually touch the cells. She could touch a human just like anyone else, but to extract one singular cell was impossible. Her hands were too big, too clammy. 

“It’s alright,” the man chuckled. “I get that a lot. Y’know, with all the muscles and such.” 

Elena snapped up. “That isn’t what I meant!” she gasped. “I wasn’t going for… that.” 

He laughed, holding out a hand. “No worries. It happens. The name’s Steve.” 

Elena shook the glob of cells with her own. She nodded, gulping as she spoke. “Elena,” she said. “Thanks for uh…” She glanced down at the body, gesturing at it. “The help, I guess.” 

“It was no problem,” he said, following her gaze. “Men like him need to be taken care of.” 

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Elena said. 

She frowned at the body, scratching her head. It couldn’t be a coincidence for her to be assaulted, especially if he was there in front of her apartment. Someone had targeted her. Elena gulped. But why? Her thoughts ceased at a blur in the corner of her vision. Her eyes dashed to the man’s hand. Nothing. Elena pushed her glasses up. She could’ve sworn—a twitch. Steve must have seen it too because he raised an arm to shield her. But it didn’t matter. 

His gray eyes opened, and she stiffened. A mistake. 

He lunged forward and plunged the syringe into her thigh. It pierced through her jeans and into her skin. The sharp metal entered her vein, and she choked in shock. Her head spun as her attacker yanked the syringe out. Elena screamed. Normally, shots wouldn’t have hurt. But then, she had no consent with this one. 

Steve was shouting something, and he caught her when she stumbled back. Her attacker was long gone. Elena clenched her fists shut. Why would her attacker run? His task couldn’t have been just to inject her. What was the point in that? 

Elena gasped when her vision went out. Black clouds rolled into her vision, and she panicked. She would rather see cells than go blind. She closed her eyes, and reopened them. Still nothing. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness crashed over her. She tensed, Steve’s voice slowly ebbing away. Flashes of white, and everything was normal. 

Normal. 

Elena froze, eyes widening. She fought herself out of Steve’s arms, climbing onto her feet. Everything was normal. The grass, the trees, the flowers. She turned back, taking in Steve’s appearance for the first time. Elena met his blue eyes in amazement. Her jaw dropped what seemed like a million miles, and she turned to see the rest of the park. Elena smiled softly. 

Raising a hand in front of her eyes, Elena almost laughed. She could see herself too. Pulling her hair out of her bun, she shook her head, letting it all fall loose. Her smile widened. It was like waking up from a nightmare after decades. Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon or a budding flower in the spring.

In her joy, Elena didn’t realize the unease that had started coiling inside her until it was too late. Her chest tightened, and Elena yelped. She lost her balance, dropping to the sidewalk. Her muscles seemed to want to constrict, and her eyes stung. She gasped for breath, choking. Tears burned her face, and the wave of black swept over her once more. 

The last sound she heard was the sound of her glasses falling, cracking. Then, nothing.


	3. Peony

It was black, but was there really such a thing as black? When someone looks at something, there is always light. If there wasn’t, how would someone even see “black”? Really, the insides of an eyelid were red. 

Elena opened her eyes, letting the light seep in. She blinked. Why her first thought awakening was about the philosophy of black, she did not know. Groaning, she rubbed her wrist and shook her head. The thought faded away though as her eyes adjusted to the light. 

Now, it was white. White ceilings, white walls, white floors, even white blankets. Up, down, left, right, it was all white. Out of the corner of her eye, a blur of pink caught her attention. She turned, squinting to see the hazy silhouette of flowers. 

That was when the scent hit her. It was like breathing in the ocean air on a tropical beach. She shifted her body against the fresh, light sheets. They were soft like a mother’s touch, weightless like feathers. The pillows were clouds that had just finished crying. Listening to her breathing patterns, Elena let her eyes flutter shut. She felt as if she was floating in the wonders of space, exploring the universe without a weight on her shoulders. At the same time, she was sinking. She was dragged down into quicksand. Drowning. 

Her eyes flashed open, and Elena propped herself on her elbow. Scrunching her nose, a wave of memories crashed down on her. She wanted food, someone had followed her, attacked her, someone else—Steve—saved her, a needle had been put inside her, and she could see. She rubbed her eyes, blinking. Turning her hands over, she looked down at herself. Was all this real? 

Flinging the blankets away, she sat up as she swung her legs to the floor. Her bare feet touched the cold tile ground. Leaning forward, she touched her thigh. A hole had ripped in her jeans, and the red mark the syringe left was already beginning to fade. Elena bit down on her lip, squinting. Whatever the syringe held cured her. Sighing, Elena frowned. She would have liked to know its contents. 

Then, the door slid open. Elena jumped out of bed. She ignored the ache in her leg, resisting the urge to bend down to massage it. The blurry outline of a man froze in his tracks, and Elena squinted to see him yank out earbuds. She wrinkled her nose at the faint beat of rock music. 

“Oho!” He laughed, making a finger gun. “She’s awake. Good morning, Dumpling!” 

Elena blinked. “Morning?” she echoed. “It’s morning? How long have I been out?” 

The man shrugged. “You sleep kinda early, you know? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that hits the sack at seven. Oh wait…” He trailed off as Steve decided to pop in. 

“What?” Steve asked, knitting his brows together. 

“Nothing,” the man said, a wide grin plastered on his face. “Just wishing our guest a good morning.” 

Elena narrowed her eyes. The man’s voice was somehow familiar, but she didn’t recall ever meeting. And Steve—his face was familiar too. But how? For the past years, she had nothing but herself and the cells. Elena frowned. Her head pounded at everything that was going on, a headache throbbing in the background of her thoughts. 

“Tony,” Steve sighed. Elena glanced up at the name. “I know that face. You’re up to something.” 

“Do you need to get your vision checked? Gracious, you really are getting old.” 

“You’re Tony Stark,” Elena blurted before Steve could open his mouth. Rubbing her wrist, Elena gulped. She remembered now. She had seen the hundreds of articles concerning Tony Stark and the Avengers. She turned to face Steve. “And you’re Steve Rogers.” 

“And you are Elena Fan.” Tony smiled. His teeth seemed to shine like cartoon drawings, and Elena stiffened at her name. 

“How did you know that?” 

“Oh, Dumpling, don’t you remember? It’s only been four years.” Tony did a quick search on his phone. “I’m sure you’ve read the articles.” 

“Don’t call me that.” 

He didn’t seem to hear her, rambling on. “Experiment gone wrong. All killed but one. Doctor gone mad.” 

Elena sucked in a breath, clenching her fists together. She glared daggers at Tony. Gritting her teeth, it took all her energy to turn away. Elena cursed under her breath, focusing on the flowers. They were pink lilies, she realized as she stared at the dappled pink and red patterns. She pressed her fingers to her temples, her headache only growing at Tony’s babble. 

“Stop that,” Steve said. 

“You know it isn’t often you bring the ladies home. This needs—” 

“Tony.” 

“Alright, alright.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever. I’ll be outside. Gotta beat Clint to the coffee anyways.” 

Elena didn’t relax until she was sure he was gone. Slouching down, she quietly sighed. Her fists slowly uncoiled, and her shoulders dropped. She bit down on her lip. 

“Do you like the flowers?” 

“They smell.” 

Steve went silent. After a few moments, he spoke again. “Is that bad?” 

“Depends.” Elena paused. “Hospitals usually don’t allow highly fragranced flowers. It can cause problems.” 

"Oh.” 

They elapsed into silence. Usually, it would have been perfectly fine with Elena, but she was in unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar people. She scratched her head and gulped. “So,” she started, “why did you bring me here?” 

“I’m sorry?” 

“This is Avengers Tower, right? You brought me here instead of a hospital.” Elena looked up. “Why? I don’t know you, and you definitely don’t know me.” 

“I guess it was just the first place that came to mind,” he answered. “Why? Do you want me to take you there now?” 

“No!” Elena blurted. She felt herself redden. “Sorry, no. I’m good. In fact, I’d like to go home.” 

Steve frowned. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Maybe we can help you.” 

“What help do I need?” 

Hesitating, Steve realized what he had said. He reached up to rub his neck. “Well,” he said. “Tony was right about you being in the news. You practically blew up.” 

Elena glared at him. 

“You kept trying to convince people you could see the individual cells of all living things,” he continued. “No one believed you. But I—we, the Avengers, we understand what that’s like.” 

Elena crossed her arms, gaze darkening. Her head spun. Why was it that after she was free from her curse people started to want to help? “Home,” she said. 

“Take Bruce for an example, he—” 

“Please, Steve.” 

Steve stopped. He smiled softly at her. “Alright. But—” 

Elena’s stomach growled. 

“Breakfast first?” 

Elena rubbed her wrist. She sighed. “Fine.”


	4. Wisteria

Was it too late to skip breakfast? 

Elena gulped as she followed Steve out of the elevator. Three different pairs of eyes stared back at her, and she suddenly wondered if she looked presentable. She reached up to adjust her glasses only to realize she had lost them. Shaking her head, she slowed to let Steve greet his friends. 

She rubbed her wrist, keeping her eyes on the ground at the tile floor. She bit her lip at her reflection, unused to seeing herself. Elena inclined her head, studying her eyes. She looked different than the last she saw herself. More weary, older. She looked miserable. 

“—Dumpling.” 

She looked up at her name, crossing her hands behind her back. Elena blinked, cursing when she realized she had already begun responding to “Dumpling”. “What?” 

“Weren’t you listening?” Tony asked, rolling his eyes. “I asked if you’d like a bagel.” 

“Uh, sure,” Elena said. 

“Get it yourself, it’s on the counter.” 

Huffing, she sighed and walked towards them. Her eyes flitted to the two strangers, one of which she recognized. Her mouth parted in surprise, and Elena turned to grab a bagel before anyone could notice. 

“Elena, this is Natasha Romanoff,” Steve said when Elena took a seat. “And this is—” 

“Dr. Bruce Banner, I know,” Elena said, covering her mouth with her hand as she chewed. She turned to face Bruce. She forced a smile. “Your work on biochemistry was very helpful. It changed the way I thought about cells function.” 

Bruce smiled. “Your own theories are quite interesting,” he said, folding his hands together. “I’ve done some of my own readings.” 

Elena halfheartedly nodded, falling into silence. She ate quickly, eager to be home. Standing when she finished, she glanced at a nearby clock. 

Tony glanced at her from where he lounged, sitting up. He leaned forward, folding his hands together. “Tired of our company, already?” 

“No, she’s just tired of yours.” 

Tony glared at Natasha, who didn’t pay him a second glance. She turned to face Elena, putting aside a tablet. “Doctor, I have some questions before you leave.” 

“Is this good or bad?” Elena asked. 

Natasha motioned at the chair across from her. “I’m not sure yet.” 

Looking around at the others who seemed fully invested in this new conversation, Elena sighed and nodded. She sat and waited. 

“According to the media, you have claimed that you have the ability to see cells. Is this true?” 

Elena stayed silent, narrowing her eyes. She sat up straighter. 

“Elena?” 

She clenched her fists from under the table. “Why does this concern you?” 

“Huh,” Tony muttered to himself. “Dumpling has some fire in her, after all.” 

They ignored him, and Elena crossed her arms. She blew a strand of hair away from her face. “I was told I could go home,” she said, glaring daggers at Steve. “I already made it clear I want nothing to do with this.” 

“Why? Are you hiding something?” 

“Classified,” Elena said. “I tried years ago to get the attention of others. I have learned that this is for me to face alone.” 

“We can help you,” Bruce said, joining the conversation. He fiddled with his fingers when all eyes turned to him. “It was an experiment, right? It’s similar to my uh… accident.” 

Elena looked away, running a hand through her hair. She bit on her lower lip, drawing blood. 

“Come on,” Steve said. “Talk to us.” 

“The syringe,” Elena said, sighing after a moment. “The one that was administered into my bloodstream yesterday before I got here.”

“What about it?” Steve asked. 

“For lack of a better word, there was a serum. It…” She trailed off. 

“What did it do, Elena?” Natasha asked. 

Elena met Natasha’s green eyes. They penetrated her skin, watching her soul for even the slightest of lies. Elena breathed in. “Since that serum entered my body, I have been able to see like a normal human being.” 

Studying the mixed reactions she received, Elena stood. “That means I do not need your help. I am cured. Good day.” 

She walked away, ignoring their stares. Stopping in front of the elevator, she pressed the call button. Elena rubbed her wrist, gulping. 

“Do you know what was in the serum?” 

She looked over her shoulder to face Bruce. “I don’t need to,” she said. A lie. “It worked.” 

Before anyone could answer, a loud buzzing vibrated. Natasha jumped up, grabbing her tablet. “I’ve got a location,” she said. 

“Hydra?” Tony stood. 

Elena stepped into the elevator. 

“200 West 67th Street.” 

Elena’s blood chilled and she turned to see the doors slide shut. Her mouth opened when Natasha said the apartment number, her voice traveling through the doors. 

“Apartment 21B.” 

Elena blinked. She hovered her hand over the ground floor button. 200 West 67th Street Apartment 21B. “You’re kidding me,” she murmured to herself. Cursing under her breath, her curiosity got the better of her. Elena winced. Curiosity wasn’t the right word, maybe anxiety or concern. She pressed the button for the elevators to open. 

“Apartment 21B on 200 West 67th Street?” 

All heads turned to her, and Elena sighed. That had happened too many times that day. She straightened. “That apartment,” she said. “What’s wrong with it?” 

Natasha narrowed her eyes. “Classified.” 

“Not classified.” Elena placed her hands on her hips. “Just tell me; I already told you about the serum.” 

“Why is this so important to you?” Natasha stepped forward. 

Lifting her chin, Elena clasped her hands together. “Because that’s my apartment.” 

Whatever Natasha was expecting, it wasn’t that. Her jaw dropped, but she regained her composure in less than a second. Tony coughed as Steve stood. They shared a glance. 

“Jarvis, find an available room,” Tony said. “We have a guest.” 

Elena jumped at the voice that responded. 

“Yes, sir.” 

She blinked, eyes darting around the room. The voice seemed to come from everywhere, yet there was no one. “What in the world?” 

Tony grinned. “Dumpling, Jarvis. Jarvis, Dumpling. He’s an AI.” 

“Right,” Elena muttered. “Why am I getting a room?” 

“Someone is tracking you,” Natasha said. “Someone bad.” 

Steve stood slowly. “Possibly the same person that put that serum in you. You’re not safe out there.” 

Elena gulped. Suddenly, she regretted all the decisions she had made the past twenty-four hours. Her mind screamed in protest at Tony’s next words. 

“Welcome to Avengers Tower, Dumpling.”


	5. Foxglove

Elena’s head pounded. She paced the room, a hand on the side of her head. She couldn’t sit, couldn’t lie down, couldn’t relax without the throbbing pang in her head. After Tony found a suitable room for her, she had locked herself inside. The Avengers let her be, but she doubted that it was for long. 

Squeezing her eyes shut, Elena swallowed down the bile that began traveling up her esophagus. She rubbed her wrist, leaning against a wall. Usually, she found headaches easy to handle. She’d find a dark, quiet room, and she would sit on the floor. This was different. Never had she encountered a headache that was so strong that she wanted her skull to crack open. 

Elena pulled on her hair, sinking onto the ground. She gritted her teeth, steadying her breathing. Was this even a headache or was it something more? 

Letting her head fall back, she sighed. Her eyes shut as she pulled her knees up to her chest. She just wanted to go home. She got what she wanted, to be a normal human, so why wasn’t everything normal? Instead, she was stuck in a tower with strangers with a villain supposedly tracking her. Elena muttered under her breath. What could she do for someone that wanted to induce havoc into the world? 

She opened her eyes, letting them wander across the room. Tony had given her a whole suite, and to her grudging relief, it wasn’t just one color. She could have lived in the room if there was a kitchen. She had everything else: a bedroom, living room, and a bathroom. Running a hand through her hair, Elena jolted when a sharp knock interrupted her silence. When she didn’t answer, the knock only came harder and quicker. 

Elena stood, walking to stand in front of the door. She stared at it, arms slack beside her. Before the knock could sound again, she unlocked the door, opening it to let a sliver of light pass through. She stiffened when green eyes stared back at her. Of all people, she didn’t expect Natasha to be the one to be at her door. 

“Elena.” 

She gulped, opening the door wider. “Natasha.” 

Elena felt weird saying her name out loud. She didn’t feel like they were close enough. She wasn’t close to any of the Avengers, she supposed, but Natasha seemed harder to approach. 

“We’re briefing the situation in thirty,” she said. “Figured you should be there.” 

“Alright.” Elena moved to shut the door. 

She stopped when Natasha’s foot darted out to stop it from closing. Elena blinked, looking back up. “What?” 

“We started off on the wrong foot,” she said. Natasha held out her hand. “I’m offering you a new start. You’re going to need someone sensible to handle those boys.” 

Elena stared down at her hand. She hesitated. “How long do you think I’ll be here?” 

Natasha winced. “I don’t know,” she said. “Hopefully not long, but Hydra is complicated.” 

Swallowing, Elena let her shoulders slump. “It wouldn’t hurt to be on good terms with someone in this place, I guess.” She forced a smile as she took Natasha’s hand, shaking on it. 

“You want a tour of this place?” Natasha crossed her arms. “Seeing as you’ll be staying here, it’d be good for you not to get lost.” 

“Yeah,” Elena replied. “That’d be good.” 

She followed Natasha into the elevator, and she pointed out the stairs before they stepped inside. Natasha glanced back at Elena, motioning at the floor buttons. “The bottom three floors are practically useless for you,” she said. “Stark just likes to have a place that looks organized for the government.” 

She pushed the button for the top floor. “The top twenty floors are all R&D. Bruce likes hanging up here, and Tony does come up when he’s not… troublesome.” 

“Has that ever happened?” 

Natasha snorted. “No, but he likes messing around with his suits.” She nodded when the doors slid open. “Here we are. You’ll find that Tony has mostly everything if not all the toys.” 

Elena gulped as she stepped out of the elevator. She didn’t need glasses to be able to see how massive just one floor of research labs was, let alone how big twenty must have been. She rubbed her wrist. She hadn’t stepped one foot in a lab ever since she gained her powers. She pinched her nose, wandering deeper into the room, so Natasha wouldn’t be able to see her face. 

She remembered everything. Four years of time couldn’t erase how she still remembered the screams and looks of terror. Elena looked up at the lights. She had only been an assistant in that experiment, following the orders of Dr. Lisa Hallman. She had been on a need-to-know basis, but from what she had been told by her superiors, the experiment could have been life-changing if successful. 

Elena brushed her hair back. Something had been terribly wrong that day. They were nearing the end, and she was making her rounds, checking numbers and calculations. She sucked in a breath. She didn’t know what had happened until a few seconds after. There was an explosion. The screams replayed in her head, and she distinctly remembered Dr. Hallman’s orders. _Stand firm. We must finish this._

And she had. She had stayed despite every muscle in her that fought to move. Despite the other doctors and scientists that ran. They screamed at her to do the same. They said that none of it was natural, that they were tricked. Elena remembered the way Dr. Hallman looked at her. She had smiled, told her that she would be praised by all. 

Then, another explosion. A bright light similar to the sun flashed before Elena’s eyes. It burned, and she could still imagine the pain. It was the first time waterfalls had rushed down her head, beads of sweat like heavy rain. This time, the blast was enough to bring the building down. There was not a single survivor with the exception of herself. 

Elena blinked when Natasha called out her name. She shook her head, straightening. “Where to next?” 

Elena found nothing special about the rest of the tour. The only useful thing she may have learned was the location of the suites. 

At last, the tour was over and the briefing was starting. Elena sat beside Natasha, inclining her head when she noticed a new fellow. Natasha rolled her eyes at him, elbowing him in the ribs. “Wake up, Clint. It’s past noon.” 

The man, Clint, grunted and blinked a few times. He looked down at his empty coffee mug with distaste. “Noon doesn’t mean anything,” he said. Standing, he shuffled into the kitchen. He returned with a full coffee pot, pausing in his step when he noticed Elena. 

“Who’s this?” he asked. “Did we add someone without me?” 

“That’s Elena,” Steve said as he took a seat on the couch across from them. “She’ll be staying with us.” 

“Did I miss something?” 

Natasha smiled. “Sit down. Hawkeye. We have a new mission.” 

When everyone was settled, Natasha pulled out her tablet. She pressed a few buttons, and a hologram formed in the middle of the room. Elena gulped. It was her apartment. 

“Lieselotte Whitehall,” Natasha said. “She’s the eldest child of Daniel Whitehall, a high-ranking officer of Hydra in World War II.” 

“Any idea what she’s planning?” Bruce asked. 

“No,” Natasha said, “but she’ll be at Elena’s apartment tomorrow evening.” 

“I suppose you want my keys,” Elena muttered, staring at the hologram. She didn’t know how, but it was almost completely accurate. Even the glass shards were laid out on the ground. “I haven’t cleaned up recently either.” 

Tony snorted. “Whitehall’s going to break in, and you expect us to just walk through the front door? We’ll need more tact than that.” 

“She’s expecting Elena to be there,” Steve said, leaning forward. 

“Are you suggesting she be bait?” Tony asked. He grinned. “That’s more like it. Dumpling can walk in with her keys and find out what they want, and then we attack. Wonderful plan.” 

“No,” Steve quickly said. “It’s too dangerous. She’s staying here. I say we confront Whitehall, bring her in. No killing unless necessary.” 

“You’re no fun,” Tony whined. 

“Any objections?” 

They all shook their heads, even Tony who did so reluctantly. Elena sighed but followed their lead. The simpler the plan, the easier it would be. Then, she would be free to return home. 

“Clint?” 

Elena turned to watch him jerk awake, coffee spilling onto his pants, seeping into the couch. “Aw, coffee, no!” 

"My couch!” Tony groaned. 

Clint stood, the brown liquid staining his sweats. His faded purple shirt darkened. The coffee continued to spill, and Clint cursed. “No, no, no!” he gasped. “Not the pot!” 

Elena watched in amusement as Clint raised the pot over his head. He tilted his head up, positioning his mouth under the crack. 

Natasha stood, grabbing towels. Grunting, she moved to start cleaning the mess.

“Clint? The plan?” 

“Huh? Yeah, sure. It’s good. I’ll be ready.” “Good.” 

Elena stood, slowly walking away. She rubbed her wrist, halting when the traces of her headache returned. She groaned. She must have forgotten it was there with Natasha. Scrunching her face, Elena gritted her teeth at the nausea. That was new. Colored dots danced in her vision, and propping herself against a wall, Elena regained her balance. 

She saw black, and before she could realize what was happening, she saw a flash of white. Then, normal. 

Not normal. 

Elena looked down at her hands, and her eyes widened. Cells. She was seeing cells again. Her jaw dropped down, and stumbled back in surprise. They were blurry without her glasses, but they were there. 

“Elena?” 

She turned at her name, eyes darting between their different forms. She bit down. 

“You okay?” 

“I’m good, thanks,” she said, turning. Her heart raced, and she punched the call button for the elevator. 

She breathed heavily as she stepped in, her weight seeming to bring down the elevator. Elena screwed her eyes shut. 

She was not cured after all.


	6. White Rose

Elena didn’t know what to do. She wandered the halls, her eyes set upon the floor. She supposed she should just return to her suite, but that was too obvious. Her new housemates would find her there in an instant. Sighing, Elena took a deep breath. Even if she couldn’t see their faces, she knew they worried. 

Attempting to relax her shoulders, Elena scrunched up her nose. She bit her lip. Jarvis would be bound to know where she was. After all, he was an AI. Tony must have programmed him to have eyes all over the tower. That meant she would be found soon. 

Looking up when the hallway opened up, Elena found herself in a common room. To her surprise, a grand piano stood in the middle of it. Blinking, she shook her head. Was she seeing things? From what she knew on the top of her head, none of the Avengers played an instrument. 

She walked towards it. For a moment, she thought time had slowed, but the feeling faded as soon as she laid a finger on the black instrument. It hadn’t been played in awhile, Elena thought. A heavy layer of dust had settled on it, a shame for such a beautiful instrument. Elena opened the lid, blowing the dust away. She peered into the piano, smiling when she found it perfectly clean. Even if it hadn’t been played in a long time, it had been kept in perfect shape. 

Taking a seat on the bench, Elena looked down at the keys. They were blurry, and she cursed her forsaken eyesight. Grimacing, Elena looked away. She hated how the cells looked blurry even more than seeing them in their full glory. When blurry, they looked even more like small, little monsters. 

She started up, not wanting to stare at how her fingers danced if she played, but something dragged her back down. Elena sat in silence, staring at the dusty keys. Releasing a breath, she swallowed, nodded. She let her eyes flutter shut, and her hands found her way onto the keys almost instinctively. 

She pushed down on a petal, setting her jaw. Elena pressed her fingers down. No thought needed to push her on then. Her hands knew the pattern like how a child knew how to cry. The melody was familiar to her ears like the voice of her mother. It was like magic, how the song came naturally to her. 

Elena could feel her muscles relaxing, and a trace of a smile could be found on her lips. Then, almost like it had never happened, it was gone. Her eyes opened, and she found herself leaning towards her hands. Had she been moving with the music? She released the petal, raising her hands up in surprise at the wrong note she had played. 

“I didn’t know you could play.” 

Elena almost knocked the bench over as she jumped away from the piano. She spun on her heels at Steve’s voice, blinking. “Yeah, well… Asian parents.” 

“You play beautifully.” 

“I messed up,” Elena replied flatly. 

“I think there’s beauty in mistakes,” Steve said. “You never know what could come out of them.” 

Rolling her eyes, Elena closed the piano back up. She lowered the lid. The only thing that ever came out of mistakes was failure. Playing a wrong note in a piece meant failure in performing properly. Circling a wrong answer on a test meant failure to pass. _A mistake in a lab meant failure in her whole life._

She changed her subject. “I didn’t know we had a piano. Does anyone play?” 

Steve chuckled. “Tony just likes having one for the sake of having one. He says it makes him look good.” 

Elena halfheartedly laughed. “I don’t think it does any good if it’s dusty.” 

Steve agreed, but Elena was no longer paying attention. She turned away from Steve. Cells weren’t something she wanted to see at the moment, even if they were a scientific wonder. Rubbing her wrist, she inclined her head. Still, cells were something she never wanted to see at this point. 

“Elena?” 

“Hmm?” She turned automatically, and almost immediately she winced, looking away. “What?” 

“What’s wrong?” 

Rubbing her wrist, Elena clicked her tongue. She paused, shaking her head. “You know,” she said, walking towards the elevator. “Evil villain wants something with me, and my apartment is about to be burgled. Who wouldn’t be down about that?” She chuckled dryly, pressing the button to her floor before he could say anything else. 

She quickly returned to her room, locking the door behind her. Since Steve had already talked to her, she figured she would be left alone for a while. Sitting on the carpet floor, she crossed her legs. 

The room was dark, window blinds closed and lights off. If she didn’t think hard enough, Elena would have thought she was back home in her own apartment. It wasn’t that different, minus the expensive furniture. They were both eerily quiet and pitch dark, worlds away from the bustling streets. 

Elena let herself fall back on the ground. She stared up at the ceiling, raising an arm. Watching her cells move around, she fell into her thoughts. Elena tilted her head to the side, hair falling over her face. She didn’t move to fix it. 

She wondered what would have happened if she had just stayed in her apartment. The guy outside her door would probably have broken in, but would things be differently than it was? She wouldn’t have been with the Avengers but with Hydra. She let her arm fall back to the ground. 

According to Natasha, Hydra was an organization that plotted world domination with the power of Inhumans. Although it sounded terrible, Elena couldn’t help but wonder if she would be better off as a part of them. They did have a means of curing her after all. She hesitated. 

Would she be considered an Inhuman? 

She frowned, wrinkling her nose. Shaking her head, she sat up. That didn’t matter. She was still human. She had to be. The cells were just an illusion, a trick that she had made up. Elena gulped, rubbing her wrist. She turned her head to face a standing mirror. 

One look at herself was enough to drive her to the edge. She grimaced, looking away. She wasn’t normal. But maybe she could be. Lieselotte Whitehall had a cure. She had seen it first hand with the syringe. 

Elena stood, fists clenched. Maybe Hydra wouldn’t be so bad.


	7. Cyclamen

There were no stars in the night. Elena didn’t know why she bothered looking. New York City had too many lights, and the pollution about the air didn’t help it. She listened to the sound of her shoes hitting the sidewalk. Elena shivered when a gust of wind ran through her face, but she didn’t stop. 

Never had she thought that she would ever have to sneak out from anywhere at night, especially from Avengers Tower. She had never done it as a teenager. Quite frankly, she never had anywhere to be with the exception of school and the library, which closed at night. Elena frowned. It made sense though. All she had ever done as a child was study and more studying. She shuddered at the memories. She had no idea how she had the self control to sit in a chair for so long staring at long textbooks. 

Nowadays, she didn’t think she could research anything for straight hours. She had grown lazy in her years alone. What was the point? She wouldn’t gain anything. Her future was ruined the moment she was able to see cells. 

Elena came to a stop in front of her apartment complex. She gulped, lifting her head to find her window. She couldn’t help but to be nervous even if Lieselotte Whitehall was to arrive the next day. What if she was early? What if the message to the Avengers was only to get their attention? _Her_ attention? 

Swallowing, she pushed open the door. Her feet found their way to the stairs, and it felt like no time had passed when she found herself in front of a door. Here it was, Apartment 21B. Elena reached into her pocket. Her fingers closed around cold metal, her key, and inserted it into the keyhole. 

She took another breath, but all it did was form more butterflies in her stomach. Nothing was going to calm her at this point. Elena itched to reach down to grasp her other hand, to rub her wrist, but she feared that if she let go, she would never find the courage to enter her apartment. She almost snorted at the irony. She was afraid to enter her own home.

Elena turned the key until the distinct click sounded. Her heart skipped at it, and she held her breath as she twisted the door knob. She stood frozen in place, and sweat began streaking down her head. Another breath. 

Squeezing her eyes shut, she muttered to herself. “Three,” she whispered. “Two.”

The last second seemed to drag on forever, and Elena’s lips parted. Her shoulders tensed, and Elena thought that her hand would crush the metal door knob if she waited any longer. “One.” 

The door swung open. 

Her breath hitched. 

And yet, nothing happened. 

Elena opened her eyes to find her apartment just the way she left it. She blinked. Shutting the door behind her, she narrowed her eyes. She looked around her apartment, moving slowly. Each step felt like it was weighed down by the sky, and she peered into the bathroom to find nothing. She moved to the bedroom. Still nothing. 

Letting out a breath that she had been holding, Elena slumped down. She rubbed her eyes, combing her hair back with her hands. Walking back out to the main room, she pulled a drawer. She quickly slipped her spare glasses on her head and pocketed her phone. That was better. Not being able to see properly had given her a disadvantage. 

Elena turned to eye the sharp glass that lay on the wooden floor. Sighing, she grabbed a broom. It was about time she cleaned it. She was going to have visitors after all. 

Elena didn’t know how long she spent cleaning, but by the end, she found herself humming. Blinking in surprise, she cut off her voice and looked around. Her eyes widened. Somehow, she had polished off the entire apartment. Elena scratched her head. Was this the meaning of stress? 

Sighing, she glanced at the clock. 1:57AM. Elena rubbed her wrist, weariness suddenly settling in her bones. She supposed she should sleep, if that was even possible. 

Turns out, it was not. Elena twisted and turned in bed, her legs tangling with her bed sheets. She groaned, burying her head under a pillow. In the rare moment that she would find herself comfortable, her eyes would snap open and consciousness would return. 

Cursing under her breath, Elena sat up. She looked at the time, falling on her back when she saw that what had felt like hours was only ten minutes. It was going to be a long night. 

Morning couldn’t come any sooner. Light peeked through her window, and Elena rolled onto her side. Stretching, she yawned. Her whole body yearned for sleep, yet at the same time, she had enough energy to run laps around Central Park. Elena sat up as she opened her eyes. She grabbed her glasses and looked around when the events of the night came crashing over her. 

Elena got up slowly, making her bed. She wondered when Lieselotte Whitehall would appear. She didn’t exactly get a time. Walking out of the door, she stopped in her tracks. 

Her eyes bulged out of their sockets, and her jaw dropped to the floor. Stuttering, Elena stumbled back. She pressed her fingers to her temples, looking away. She gulped. She hadn’t heard anything in the night, and Elena found herself to be a pretty light sleeper. 

“Ms. Fan, how lovely of you to join me.” 

Her eyes snapped up at the voice. There, on the couch, was a cloaked woman. There was Lieselotte Whitehall. Elena sucked in a breath. She thought her voice familiar, but at the same time not. She had a thick German accent, and Elena was sure she had never met someone with one. 

“Come, sit with me,” she said. 

Elena swallowed, but she tentatively sat on the armchair across from Lieselotte. She lifted her chin, folding her hands over her lap. Her back was as straight as a ruler, and her breathing seemed to slow. 

“You look well,” Lieselotte said. “Better than I expected.” 

“What?” Elena tried to hide her grimace. Her voice sounded tiny compared to Lieselotte. 

“Cat got your tongue?” she chuckled, a light laugh that would have turned the hearts of many. “I said you look well. Honestly, I’m surprised you're still alive. Four years is a long time to hold such an ability.” 

Elena stiffened. She thought back to the accident, and she remembered. 

_Stand firm. We must finish this._

“Who are you?” she asked softly. 

Lieselotte Whitehall seemed to grin under her hood. Her pale hands reached up to unveil herself. Blonde hair spilled out, and Elena met her eyes. 

Her breath caught, and her heart skipped a beat or two. Her skin whitened. 

“My dear, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said. 

She had. Elena had seen a ghost. Her hands trembled, and she couldn’t move. She was glued to her spot. “You’re supposed to be dead,” she whispered. 

Because sitting in front of her was Dr. Lisa Hallman.


	8. Narcissus

“Fuck.” 

It was the only word Elena could manage to utter. Her mouth hung open, slack and unable to close, and her knees were jelly. Elena said it again, her voice now barely audible. “Fuck.” 

She must have looked ghastly with her white face and limp arms. She couldn’t bring herself to move. Her dark eyes were fixated on the blue ones of Dr. Hallman’s—no. It was Lieselotte Whitehall, not Hallman. 

“Dear lord, the cat’s really got your tongue,” she said, leaning forward. 

Elena’s eyes darted at her cells, checking for something, anything that would disprove that this wasn’t the same Lisa Hallman. There was none. Dread filled her body. It was cold, sending chills down her spine. She suddenly wondered if it was a bad idea to have come looking for Hydra. Elena swallowed. 

“Elena, dear?” Lieselotte tried again. “Are you alright? Sick?” 

“No,” Elena said slowly. “I’m fine.” 

Elena could picture the wide smile Lieselotte gave. Bright lipstick flashed in her mind, the very same Dr. Hallman wore the day of the experiment. She shuddered. “How?” Elena whispered. 

Lieselotte laughed, and Elena winced. The sound reminded her of a screeching kettle full of boiling water, shrill and unpleasant. Elena looked away and towards the window. Silently swearing at her habit of closing her curtains, she looked to the floor. 

She didn’t know what to think, nor did she know what to do. Elena desperately wanted to be cured, but did she really want to get it from the very person who had cursed her? And what of the Avengers? She would be lying if she said that Natasha hadn’t started growing on her. Elena even found Tony to be tolerable at that point. 

_ Stand firm. We must finish this.  _

Elena’s eyes widened, and flashes of the experiment came to mind. She looked back to Lieselotte, snapping back to attention. The voice had sounded so real as if she was reliving the experience. 

“How?” Elena repeated. “I know they never found your body, but you’re alive?” 

“I certainly don’t feel dead,” Lieselotte said, pinching herself. “Definitely alive.” 

Elena blinked. “Yeah, but—” She paused. “After all this time? It’s been four years. Why now? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” 

“Why, I didn’t know you were still alive,” she said, cracking her knuckles. “I had only escaped with my life, barely. When I recovered, you had disappeared. It was as if you never existed.” 

Frowning, Elena rubbed her wrist. She supposed that it was true. She did isolate herself, after all. “Okay,” she said. “What about your name?” 

“I have always been called Lisa,” Lieselotte said. 

She made no move to explain her last name, and Elena opened her mouth, closing it when Lieselotte shot her a glare. Shrinking, she looked away. Her brows knitted together in confusion, and her head hurt from all the information. 

“My dear, I hope you don’t mind, but I didn’t exactly come here to answer your questions.” Lieselotte stood, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. Elena winced at how they dug into the ground, tearing her flooring, but Lieselotte didn’t seem to care. “The experiment is not yet done,” she continued. “We must finish it.” 

“No.” 

Lieselotte stopped, blinking. She hadn’t been expecting rejection. “No?” she echoed. “What do you mean no? You were assigned to aid me, were you not? You have not been dismissed from duty.”

“I don’t want to be back in a lab.” Elena crossed her arms. “It didn’t go so well last time, you see.” 

“Oh, darling,” Lieselotte sighed. “You must. You have no choice.” 

Elena bit down on her lip. “You wouldn’t want me,” she said. “Four years is a long time to have not handled the appropriate equipment.” 

Lieselotte chuckled. “You aren’t one to forget so easily,” she said. “You wouldn’t let yourself.” She moved to open a closet, and Elena froze when she moved aside all the clutter to find a box, the only item that wasn’t covered in dust. Lieselotte pulled it out. “Long hours behind a textbook shouldn’t be gone to waste, don’t you think?” 

“How did you know that was there?” 

Lieselotte didn’t respond, and if it wasn’t for the quiet chuckle she heard, Elena would have thought that she hadn’t heard her. She sucked in a breath when Lieselotte opened the box. Rubbing her wrist, she slowly stood. 

Several books piled at the top, but Lieselotte tossed them aside as if they were nothing. Underneath lay her stethoscope, a first aid kit, and her pocket diagnostic set. Lieselotte threw them all out until she came to a white coat. 

Elena looked away, a lump in her throat. She glanced down at her hands, clammy and trembling. Clenching them, she gritted her teeth. 

“Put on the coat, Doc,” Lieselotte said. “You didn’t keep all your things for nothing.” 

Elena’s voice shook when she tried to speak. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath. “Rereading textbooks doesn’t mean I can handle equipment.” 

Lieselotte tossed the coat at Elena, who caught it in surprise. “Put it on,” she said. “I do not tolerate liars.” 

When Elena didn’t move, Lieselotte marched to stand in front of her. She had no smile now, and Elena stepped back. “No.” 

Leaning forward, Lieselotte snarled. “Not even for the cure you need?” 

Lieselotte smirked when Elena froze. Her blood chilled, and even her heart seemed to stop. Elena parted her lips, staring at Lieselotte. It was apparent that the Hydra member knew exactly what was going inside of her head. She knew that the cure was a whole different matter, that Elena wanted it badly, more than anything. 

Elena stood frozen. So this was how Hydra had become so powerful. With bribery, fear, desire. And Elena hated to admit it, but it worked. 

“The cure,” she said. “Do you promise it?” 

Lieselotte grinned. “Of course.” 

“What must I do?” 

“Find me on the last night of October.” 

Elena blinked. Halloween wasn’t for a couple of weeks. “Where?” 

Lieselotte twirled a strand of her hair. Her smile was coy, malicious. “Darling, you know where I speak of.” 

It would have been comforting to have not known, but Elena did. She looked at the box, where one final item lay inside. The sheet of paper that she had received four years ago, the very one that had told her of her duty at the experiment. Lieselotte wanted to meet at the site of the very building the experiment was held. 

When Elena looked up, Lieselotte was gone as if she had never been there in the first place. Elena let out a breath, her arms falling to her sides. Her white coat landed on the ground, and plastic toppled out of its pocket. She didn’t need to look to know what it was her old ID. 

Falling back on her armchair, Elena brought her hand to her temple. Tears began to form in her eyes, and she furiously wiped them away.  _ Stand firm.  _

A loud bang with a crash following it. Elena didn’t move, knowing fully well who it was. “You’re replacing that,” she said, eyeing the door that had knocked over a painting. 

“Well, we wouldn’t have if you had given us the keys, Dumpling.” 

Elena turned to face the Avengers. It didn’t surprise her that Bruce was missing. The Hulk would have tore the whole place down. “I thought walking through the front door wasn’t grand enough for you.” 

Tony scoffed as Steve spoke. “Where is she? Whitehall?” 

“Gone. You’re late.” 

He rounded on her, but Elena didn’t make any move. She met his eyes, or rather, where she thought his eyes were. “Give it up, Rogers,” she muttered, pushing herself up on her feet. “You’re late. Next time, be earlier.” 

She didn’t wait for a response, bending down to scoop up her coat. She moved to gather all the things Lieselotte had carelessly cast aside, piling them up back inside her box. Rehanging the painting that had fallen when Tony kicked open the door, she turned and headed for her room. 

She left the door open, reaching for a backpack that lay under her bed. Throwing her closet open, she began to take down her clothes. When she turned around, she stumbled back at the mass of cells. Natasha. 

“Why did you come here?” she asked. 

“If I am to be living with you, I think I should have my belongings.” 

Elena huffed when Natasha crossed her arms. Imagining the pointed look that she must have been giving her, she knew that Natasha had seen right through the lie. She scrunched up her nose, remembering Lieselotte’s words.  _ I do not tolerate liars.  _

She didn’t know why, but there was something about the way she said it that was off. Elena frowned, biting down on her lip. She shook her head. She was probably just overthinking it. 

“You can see the cells, can’t you?” 

Elena snapped up. “What?” 

“The cells. You can see them again,” Natasha said. “It started up again after the briefing. That’s why you were acting so weird. And now, when you snapped at Steve. That isn’t the Elena I got to know.” 

“You don’t know me,” Elena shot back. 

“Maybe, but something’s changed.” 

Elena’s eyes flashed. “Don’t talk about the things you don’t understand.” 

“So I was right,” Natasha said. “You can see them again.” 

Elena didn’t say anything, pushing past Natasha. Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, she lifted the box of her medical supplies. She could feel Natahsa’s stare on her back, and it unnerved her. It was almost as if she was Lieselotte. Almost. 

Swallowing, Elena lifted her chin. She didn’t know exactly what she had gotten herself into, but whatever it was couldn’t be worse than her years in the dark. Because coming back to the light of the sun was always a good thing, even if it was under the dreams of Hydra.


	9. Wormwood

Falling back into darkness was easier than it should have been. It had been about a week since Elena met Lieselotte, and a week since she had left her suite. Someone had been kind enough to start leaving food and water for her after three days, and she was grateful to be left alone. 

Lying on her back, Elena found herself spending more time on the floor than anywhere. She even slept on the carpet, the bed unused if not for her things that lay on it. It was easy to lose herself in her head, but the result was much to be desired. 

Somehow, Elena found herself yet again thinking about pure blackness. She found it hard to believe that nothing she had ever seen was truly black. Moreover, she found it hard to believe that there was light in the darkened room she sat in. Elena inclined her head. Everything certainly looked black to her, and it wasn’t because of the cells. And she supposed that it was black, to the human eye at least. 

She wondered what it would be like to truly be in a black room. Grimacing as a memory came to mind, she rolled onto her side. Her hair fell over her face, tangled so severely that it seemed as if her hair was naturally curly. 

When she was younger, Elena had always been taught that black was evil. It was unlucky, never worn in celebrations. It was the same with the color white, and with a start, Elena realized that she had never truly seen white. 

If black was the absence of all light, white was the absence of all color. Somehow that scared her even more. What would she be seeing if not color? 

Running her hand through her unruly hair, Elena worked on untangling. She frowned thoughtfully. As a child, red had been her favorite color. It was the luckiest of all colors, the color of happiness. That’s what everyone had told her: her peers, her elders, her teachers. 

At home, it was a whole different matter. Her mother had a different perspective, and she paid the price for it. Black moon. That was her name. A single tear escaped from her eyes, and she blinked it away. She remembered the insults. Witch, they called her. Evil, wicked, malevolent. 

The day she left for the States may have been the best day of her life. She adopted a new name. Elena, meaning bright halo. College was an incredibly different experience than primary and secondary school. People left her alone, and she was able to walk a block without anyone shouting her name. 

She was able to make friends, and for years, she was happy. Then, it happened. The horrible experiment that changed her life. Pushing herself up on her feet, Elena wobbled to her bed. She lifted a sheet of paper, rereading the instructions that had been given to her. 

She skimmed over the all-familiar address, grimacing at the thought of returning there to meet with Lieselotte. If she joined with her, wouldn’t she really be evil, wicked, and malevolent? She would be living up to her true name, and she hated it. It had been so long since anyone had called her Black Moon, had called her a witch. And if she joined Hydra, the names would return. Then, she would be stuck with it forever. 

But she’d be human again. 

Groaning, Elena bunched up her hair on her head. She shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek. It was certainly not helping that she had locked herself up in a darkened room. She wrinkled her nose, flipping on the light switch. The dark immediately dissipated. 

She walked to the bathroom, turning on the water. Elena stared at herself in the mirror, smiling weakly. She looked even worse than she had imagined. Splashing water on her face, Elena began working on her hair. It took far too long to regain her natural straightness, and before long, Elena had her hair up in a ponytail. 

Changing into fresh clothes, she slipped into her sneakers. She felt better already, but the impending doom of her soon decision weighed her down like a ball and chain. Breathing deeply, Elena nodded once before opening her door. It creaked open in the all-too silent hallway, and she almost turned back. 

Elena shut the door behind her, looking around. Now that she was out, where would she go? Her first thought went to the piano, but something held her back. She frowned to herself, and for the first time in a long while, there was nothing swimming around in her head. She blinked. Everything was just blank. 

She didn’t even realize that she had begun walking until another pair of shoes walked next to hers. She looked up, and to her surprise, it was Clint that stood beside her. Elena stopped in her path. 

“Long time no see,” he said, chuckling as he turned to face her. 

Elena had never seen the man so alert. She had assumed that he was always half-asleep. “Yeah,” she said. “Long time no see.” 

Clint smiled at her, and they continued walking. No more words were spoken, and Elena appreciated that he didn’t ask any questions. Even if they hadn’t really talked beyond basic introduction, she took a liking to him. After a moment, Elena realized that she wasn’t aimlessly wandering anymore. She had begun to follow Clint’s lead. 

“Where are we going?” she asked. 

Clint paused and blinked. With a start, Elena realized that he hadn’t realized the change either. She grinned at him. 

Scratching his head, Clint muttered to himself. “I dunno,” he said. “It was my turn to watch you.” 

Elena’s expression hardened. “You’re spying on me?” 

“No!” Clint exclaimed. He waved his arms in exasperation. “Yes? Look, when you say it like that, it sounds bad. I was just watching your door. You haven’t emerged in a week, and—” He sucked in a breath. “And last time we left you to your own devices, you decided to sneak out and meet with a Hydra member.” 

Elena held his gaze, pressing her lips together in a thin line. She scrunched her nose, pushing her glasses up. She supposed he had a point. She did go look for Lieselotte without anyone’s permission. Sighing, Elena shook her head. “Whatever. Where are we going?” 

Clint let out a breath. “Any suggestions?” 

“No, not really.” She paused. “Anywhere away from the others?” 

“Do they not include me?” 

Elena frowned. “You wouldn’t allow that,” she said. “You’re watching me for a reason.” 

Clint laughed, eyes crinkling in the corners. He flashed her a grin. “You’re smart, you know?” 

“I was a doctor.” 

“So what?” he said. “Doctors can be stupid. My last one told me that coffee was bad for my health.” 

Elena snorted, cocking her head to the side. “Given the amount you consume daily, it is.” 

Clint crossed his arms. “Shut up.” 

They came to a stop, and Elena found herself looking through the glass walls of one of the several training rooms Natasha had shown her. She blinked hard. 

“Have you ever shot a bow?” Clint asked, holding the door open for her. 

“I was never interested.” 

“Well, it’s never too late to learn.” 

Elena stood in the doorway as Clint retrieved one of the bows hanging on the wall. “I don’t know, Clint. Doctors don’t exactly like hurting people.” 

“You  _ were  _ a doctor. And who said anything about people?” 

Elena gave him a pointed look, and he raised his arms. “Well, the other day Steve had to save your sorry self. Look where that got you, got us. At least learn how to defend yourself.” 

“With a bow?” Elena almost laughed at the absurdity. “Clint, I don’t think I’ll have the time to even pull out an arrow, let alone a bow.” 

Clint rolled his eyes. “Would you rather fight me and learn self defense? Nat might be better at that.” 

Sighing, Elena realized she didn’t have much of a choice. She wasn’t ready to return to her suite just yet. That would have meant more thinking, and she had enough of that. Besides, she wasn’t going to get anywhere anyways. She was far too indecisive. “Fine,” she said. “But only because there isn’t anything else to do.” 

Clint smiled. “It’s still a win for me.” Offering her the bow he held, he grabbed another off the wall. “If it makes you feel better, we can use my suction-tip arrows.” 

The suction-tip arrows were exactly the way you would imagine them. They were like a child’s toy, made more fancy and effective. When Elena asked Clint why he would need such arrows, he only glared and told her to respect the gear. It amused her how much it rubbed him the wrong way. 

After watching Clint curse at himself for splitting several of his arrows in half, Elena had about enough. Standing from where she had taken a seat, she picked up the bow Clint had given her. 

Clint grinned and stepped to the side as she took her position. He crossed his arms in anticipation. 

Taking an arrow, Elena notched it. To her surprise, handling a bow was harder than she originally thought. She wasn’t even at the aiming stage, instead having trouble pulling the arrow back. The string was unbelievably taut. 

She heard snickering. 

“Clint,” she warned. 

“Not so easy, is it?” 

Elena turned. She had just about managed to pull the string back some inches. Glaring daggers at Clint, she smirked. 

Yelping, Clint began to duck but it was too late. The suction-tip arrow stuck itself onto his forehead, and it was Elena’s turn to snicker. 

“No,” she said as Clint pulled the arrow off. “I think it was pretty easy if I managed to headshot a real Avenger. Imagine if that was an actual arrow.” 

“That doesn’t count.” 

Elena smiled. “It’s still a win for me.” 

Groaning, Clint rubbed his neck. He shook his head. “Alright, focus. Use your pointer and middle finger to hold the arrow.” 

Elena had to use her full strength to draw back the bow. Closing one eye, she tilted her head to the side. She released the arrow after a full minute. To her dismay, she missed the target completely. 

“That was bad.” 

Rolling her eyes, Elena lowered the bow. “Gee, I didn’t notice. Is this really necessary? Can’t we do something else?” 

“You want to give up already?” 

Elena sighed. Scowling, she walked to retrieve the arrow. “No,” she muttered. “Course not.” 

She barely registered Clint coming in to fix her stance. When she did, her body immediately stiffened. “I don’t need your help.”

“Relax,” Clint murmured. “You’re never going to hit your target like this.” 

Breathing in, Elena bit on the insides of her cheek. She swallowed. It took a number of minutes before she finally relaxed. Clint stepped back. 

The arrow flew true, landing onto the bullseye. Elena grinned, pride filling her insides. Beaming, she turned to face Clint, but her smile fell short. 

Seeing her expression, Clint turned in confusion. He cocked his head as Natasha shut the door behind her. “Hey Nat,” he said. “What’s up?” 

Natasha moved to stand next to him. “Your time was up ages ago,” she said. “It’s my turn.” 

Elena rubbed her wrist, narrowing her eyes when she realized they were speaking of watching her. Adjusting her glasses, she tucked a strand of loose hair between an ear. She set down the bow and stepped away from the targets. “It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll just go back to my room.” 

“Hey!” Clint exclaimed when she pushed past him. “We only just started.” 

Before she could get anywhere, Elena stiffened. She looked over her shoulder to find that Natasha had caught her arm. “Natasha,” she muttered. 

“Running from your problems isn’t going to do you any good,” Natasha said. 

“I don’t run from anything.” 

“Really?” Natasha placed her hands on her hips, arching a brow. “How many times have you gotten into the elevator trying to avoid us?” 

Elena pursed her lips, thinking back. It was a lot, she realized. 

“Come on, Elena. Don’t tell me you’ve never wanted to punch a cell. That’s what I am, aren’t I? A bunch of cells that will haunt you for the rest of your life.” 

Elena spun on her heels, and Natasha let her arm go. She smiled, stepping back. Bringing her arms up, Natasha nodded. “Clint, you’re keeping score.” 

“Do I have a choice?” 

Elena clenched her fists together, staring at the dancing cells of Natasha. She would have been lying if she said she had never wanted to harm the cells. Her latest piece of evidence had been the mirror she had broken before she had gotten herself wrapped in this mess. Releasing a breath, she shook her head. “I know what you’re doing,” she said. “You want me to learn how to fight, how to defend myself so one of you doesn't have to.” 

“Never underestimate your enemies.” 

“It’s working.” 

Natasha seemed to smile beyond the cells. “Good.” 

Elena ran forward, raising her arm. She met Natasha in the middle, and they fought as the evening sun began to set.


	10. Yellow Rose

Natasha went easy on her. It was easy to tell, and Elena hated it. She could see it in the way she moved, in the way she held herself. While she herself was out of breath, Natasha stood without a single bead of sweat. It wasn’t laziness the way Natasha dodged her punches, but years and years of training. 

Gritting her teeth together, Elena made one final push. If she wanted anything out of this failure, it was to at least catch Natasha off guard. One second would have done it fine. She knew her blows were slow, weak even. She couldn’t do anything to change that, not at that moment at least. 

Against Natasha, the only thing Elena might have had was her brain. What years Natasha had spent with a punching bag, Elena had with a book. A medical textbook per say. 

Elena’s back slammed onto the tumbling mat, and she stiffened. Natasha towered over her. She shook her head. “You’re fighting me,” she said. “Not taking a test.” 

“Seven to zero” came Clint’s voice. He was clearly bored, voice dragging on as if he was asleep. 

As Natasha began to stand, Elena made her move. She shot her hand out, scrambling onto her feet. Her fingers pressed into Natasha’s neck, an inch or so below the ear. The vagus nerve, one of many pressure points. 

Natasha yanked away, eyes flashing. She grabbed her head, and Elena stepped back. Sharing a look with Clint, Natasha chuckled. “Seven to one,” she said. “I should have known you’d go for a pressure point.” 

Elena placed her hands on her knees, catching her breath. She nodded, adjusting her glasses. “I still have a lot of work in front of me.” 

Natasha grunted in agreement. Stretching, she cocked her head to the side. She seemed to be lost in thought, not that Elena could tell. All she saw were the cells. 

“Elena?” Natasha finally said. 

Elena glanced up. She didn’t need to see Natasha’s eyes to know that she was choosing her words carefully. The goosebumps on her arm told her that. Clint, she noticed, had left the room. Probably Natasha’s doing. Sighing, Elena took a seat on a bench. She could tell where this was going. “What do you want to know?” Her voice was quiet, timid almost. 

“What’s it like to see the cells?” Natasha sat next to her. 

“You don’t want to know about Lieselotte?” 

“Are you willing to talk about her?” 

“No.” 

“Then, tell me about the cells. What’re they like?” 

Elena mumbled her answer. “Weird.” 

Natasha laughed. “Weird?” she echoed. “That’s it? Just weird?” 

“I guess it’s like having microscopes as eyes except you can’t zoom out. At a distance, everything is blurry. But if you focus, the cells are crystal clear.” 

“And you can see all of them?” 

“I’m fairly certain. I’d hate to count all thirty-seven trillion of yours. That would take way too long.” 

“Sounds tiring.” 

Elena leaned forward, rubbing her wrist. She tilted her head to the side. “I suppose it can be overwhelming. Very overwhelming. It’s just a lot, you know?” 

“No.” 

Taken aback, Elena sat up. “No?” 

“No.” Natasha sighed. “I don’t know anyone else who has something that is remotely even close to seeing cells. It’s hard to imagine that it’s possible.” 

“I guess it is a bit far-fetched, huh?” Elena mused. “And yet you believe me?” 

“I don’t see why you would make it up. You haven’t been seen in years from what I gathered. If it was a hoax, I don’t think you would have lasted that long. And it was an accident for you to emerge.” 

Elena didn’t answer. She stared at the cells of her hands. Here she was, in the middle of a training room, talking to an Avenger, a stranger no less. It was odd how someone she barely knew trusted her more than old friends. Suddenly, Elena felt bad for the first time she had met Natasha. She had gone off about needing to handle her situation alone, that no one would help. 

But there were people that wanted to help. Natasha did, Steve did, the Avengers did. Elena bit on her lip. Maybe she didn’t have to do anything on her own. 

Maybe her old friends weren’t real friends. 

The thought made Elena gag. She couldn’t fathom it. Really, her old friends were good people, great ones even. It was her fault that they left. She had taken it too far. Because no one liked an arrogant snob who thought everything they said was right. Because no doctor should call their patients a flaw. 

But she hadn’t called the patient as a whole a flaw, just their cells. 

Elena winced, hitting her head with a hand. She was still making excuses, and she hated it. She hated it so much. 

“What’s wrong?” Natasha broke the silence, looking over in alarm. 

“Nothing, just thinking.” She answered, maybe too quickly. 

“Elena—” 

“Lieselotte,” she cut her off. “She wants to meet with me at the site where I contracted this curse.” 

Inhaling, Natasha straightened. “When?” 

“Halloween night. Cliche, I know.” 

Natasha didn’t look too amused. She stood. “We’ll catch her,” she said. 

Elena looked away, a strand of hair falling over her eyes. She stared at the cells. There were so many options to choose from, so many paths she could take. In the end, they all led back to two sides: the Avengers or Hydra. 

The Avengers were kind to her, or as kind as they could afford to be. They listened to her. They wanted to help. Friends, they were. Elena hesitated. Friends may have been too much, but acquaintances didn’t feel right. She pushed her glasses up. Perhaps, it was just her. She didn’t want new friends. She wanted her old ones. 

Cringing, Elena pushed the thought away. What was wrong with her today? It was the second time she thought about her old friends. 

The Avengers were just people she was living with. They were people she could talk to. No more, no less. Choosing their side would lead to goodness in the world. But they didn’t have the cure she so desperately wanted. 

Hydra did. The cure laid in their hands, and they just so happened to be evil. Being the Black Moon she was named for didn’t appeal to her in the slightest, but again, she wanted that cure. She needed it. 

Before she met the Avengers, before anything happened, Elena would have done anything for the cure. She would have run across the continent, would have climbed the highest mountain. She would have traveled across worlds. With no hesitation. 

What had changed? 

Elena turned back to look at Natasha. She realized that she had been watching her for quite some time. Elena shrugged at her. “She won’t be easy to catch.” 

“Nothing is easy,” Natasha said. “You have to work for everything.” 

“Yeah.” Elena thought back to the hours on end she spent with a book. “Yeah, I know.” 

Natasha watched her for a moment longer before turning away. “I need to speak with Steve. I trust you can find your own way back to your suite?” 

Elena blinked in surprise. Standing, she rubbed her wrist. “You’re not going to watch me?” 

“I trust you,” she said, “for the most part.” 

Elena wanted more than anything to smile at Natasha, but she found that she couldn’t. Trust. It was a powerful word. It was meant to go two ways. It was a mutual thing. It was the first step of friendship. 

She watched Natasha leave, and even after she left she stood there. Elena looked down at her shoes. Natasha trusted her, but did she trust her? 

Elena wanted to say yes. She wanted to think that she had someone she could trust. She had told Natasha about the cells and Lieselotte. She had accepted that she wanted to help. But was that trust? 

Was it really when she had kept the most important piece of information to herself? 

Elena closed her eyes. She was one of two survivors from the experiment four years ago. Lieselotte, the other. The Avengers didn’t know that. 

Tony and Bruce were geniuses. If she told them what had been done in the experiment, they would figure it out. They would know what Lieselotte was trying to do. 

But she didn’t tell them. Some part of herself wanted to protect Lieselotte at all costs. 

Because again, she wanted that cure. She was selfish like that. 

Elena brought her hands up to her head, muttering it to herself. “Damn it if friendship is hard,” she cursed out loud. Sighing, Elena sank back down. She bit down.

_ I trust you.  _

She swallowed hard. No, Natasha,” Elena whispered. “You shouldn’t trust me.”


	11. Cherry Blossom

The last time Elena had opened her phone had been so long ago. It was hard at first to let it go, but eventually, after a few months of isolation, she finally forgot to charge it. From then on, she hadn’t touched it. 

Plugging in her phone, Elena waited a few minutes before booting it up. She was met with her lock screen, a selfie she had taken with her best friend. To her surprise, she didn’t flinch away, didn’t drop her phone. She was quiet, still, calm even. 

Elena found herself feeling more wistful more than anything. She missed her. She missed everyone that she had called a friend. Staring at the smiles, Elena didn’t move until her screen blinked out. 

“Damn,” she murmured, letting her hand fall. “Christine.” 

The name was familiar on her tongue. It was practiced and loved. It was as if she had never left. 

“Christine,” she said again. “Christine. Christine.” 

After a few moments, Elena picked up her phone. She opened it, sucking a breath at her home screen. It was even worse, the wallpaper a group picture. Her eyes trailed over the faces: her own, Christine Palmer’s, Nic West's, and Stephen Strange's. 

Closing her eyes, Elena set her jaw straight. She breathed in, out. In and out. When she reopened her eyes, Elena checked her notifications. She wasn’t surprised to find that there was none of importance. Her email was filled with advertisements, and she had stayed away from social media. 

Elena opened her messages. Scrolling through the multiple texts that were seen but not responded to, she paused at Chrstine’s and opened the thread. She skimmed through the previous messages, and Elena scoffed at her childishness. 

Her thumb hovered over the text box. Should she text? 

She must have debated with herself for hours because the next thing she remembered was a knock. Dropping her phone, she shook her head. What would she write anyways? 

Her door swung open as she stood. Tony poked his head in. “Dumpling!” he said. “Just the person I was looking for.” 

Elena grinned, walking towards him. “What is it?” she asked. 

It had been a few days since she had told Natasha about Lieselotte. Since then, she had developed a routine to train with Clint and Natasha every evening. She spent her days either in her suite or getting to know her housemates. 

“Banner and I are going to play. And uh, he’s being...” Tony snapped his fingers together, cocking his head to his side as he searched for the right word. He frowned as he settled on one. “Difficult. Come join us. Calm down his feathers, would you? Would be a shame if he turned all green and destroyed all my tech.”

Elena froze. “You want me in a lab?” 

“Problem?” 

Fear settled into her, and her lips parted. She gulped. It was different when Lieselotte suggested she return to a lab. She had been too shocked back then. Elena closed her mouth, swallowing hard. “No,” she finally said. “No problem. I’ll meet you there.” 

“Great!” Tony spun on his heels. “Five minutes. Let’s get this party started.” 

Elena chuckled, the sound hollow even to her own ears. She grimaced, reaching one hand to the other to rub her wrist. She supposed that it would be good for her to mess around in a laboratory environment under her own conditions before she was forced into one. Besides, she was rusty. And Elena didn’t want to think about what Lieselotte would do if she made a single mistake when the time came. 

As she moved to leave the room, Elena’s eyes caught a white glint. She paused in her step, turning. The white lab coat seemed to shine, her embroidered name radiant. Sighing, Elena walked towards the bed, where it lay. Biting the insides of her cheek, she picked it up. Not a single trace of hesitation haunted her as she pulled her arms into the sleeves. 

The coat fit comfortably around her body, and her breath hitched when she saw herself in the mirror. Give her some gloves and some scrubs and you had her former self. Running a hand through her hair, Elena smiled grimly. She supposed this was what Lieselotte wanted her to do, what she would have been coerced to do. 

Lieselotte had said that she had no choice, but in the end, she did have one. Elena had the choice of whether or not to prepare herself, and she would. She wasn’t going to be made a fool in front of her. She wasn’t going to back away and die. She was going to work for that cure. Because what would she do if she didn’t get it? 

Marching out of her room, Elena took one last look at her phone before shutting the door. The elevator ride took some minutes to arrive all the way to the top floor. Flashes of the experiment blinked into existence, but Elena waved her hand and pushed them away. 

She didn’t want Tony and Bruce to worry, and she certainly did not wish to tell them. With a shake of her head, she followed Tony’s obnoxiously loud voice. It didn’t take long for her to find them. 

“Hey,” she said, making her way towards them. 

“Hey,” Bruce replied, not sparing her a glance as he swiped through the holograms. 

Tony, on the other hand, lowered his tinted glasses. His eyebrows rose as he whistled. “Nice coat. Makes you look spiffy.” 

Elena rolled her eyes as Bruce looked up in surprise. She took a breath to calm her nerves. “What are we working on?” she asked, taking a look at the holograms over Bruce’s shoulder. 

“Ever since you mentioned a serum, we’ve been trying to figure out our own,” Bruce replied. He paused. “Is that okay?” 

Elena’s jaw dropped. “Okay?” she echoed. “No, that’s great! Amazing. How’s the progress?” 

Tony laughed, slapping her shoulder. “I told you she’d be a-okay with this,” he said. “There was no reason to worry.” 

Bruce chose to ignore him, instead answering Elena. “Not great,” he muttered. “It’s a wonder how Hydra created the serum without any information.” 

“Well, what do you need?” 

He guided her over to a workstation, picking up a needle. “For starters, we could get a blood sample.” 

Elena took the needle from him. “I can do it myself,” she said. 

Bruce stared at her for a moment, and Elena could feel his eyes gauging her mental stability. She gulped, smiling softly. “I’ll be fine. I’ve done this many times before.” 

He nodded once, turning away to find Tony munching on some pretzels. “Tony!” he sighed, hurrying away to reprimand him. 

Elena snorted at how he took the package away from him, saying how it could contaminate the experiment. Smiling to herself, she tightened her grip on her needle and turned over her arm. She studied the blood cells, pursing her lip. 

Readying the needle above her vein, Elena sucked in a breath. Her hand shook, and Elena looked away. She didn’t even think when she plunged the needle down, piercing her skin. The needle went nowhere near her vein. She immediately hissed. “Shit!” she gasped, removing the needle. 

Blood began to gather on her arm, and Elena dropped the needle. Bruce was instantly at her side. “I thought you said you had it under control,” he said, leading her to a sink. 

Elena didn’t even fight him as he cleaned up her arm. She looked away. If she couldn’t do such a simple thing as drawing blood, then what could she do? There was no way she would survive Lieselotte like this. And yet, she couldn’t allow herself to just stay with the Avengers until they managed to create a cure. 

Her pride wouldn’t allow that. She couldn’t just sit around while Bruce and Tony did everything for her. 

She suddenly felt a sharp pinch on her head. Elena startled, sitting up. Her hand reached for her head, and she looked up to find a sheepish Tony. “What are you doing?” she gasped, rubbing her head as Bruce jumped from his spot.

“Hair sample,” he replied, waving a strand of her hair in front of her. 

“You could have just asked,” Elena groaned. 

“What, and wait an hour?” he responded. “Blood’s already taking too long.” 

Seething, Elena dropped her hand. She huffed in annoyance, glaring at Tony who didn’t seem to notice. She watched him as he brought her hair to a microscope, and it hurt more than it should have to know that he was right. She had delayed them. 

“Ignore him,” Bruce muttered. “I need you to relax.” 

Sighing, Elena slumped back down. She willed herself to relax, focusing on her breathing. “Sorry,” she murmured when he inserted the needle. 

Bruce looked up. “What for?” he asked, pulling the needle out. 

She shook her head, elbows rising in a shrug. “For everything?” 

“Hydra was created long before you were born, Doctor,” Bruce said. “Whitehall was never your fault.” 

Elena smiled softly as Bruce raised the blood sample into the light. “Thank you.” She paused before adding, “Doctor.” 

Bruce nodded at her before moving to occupy the microscope besides Tony. She watched him leave, and she thought about Lieselotte. Bruce was right when he said that her actions weren’t her fault, but she could have prevented them. She was the one person that day four years ago that was too weak to stand up for herself. She just had to follow orders, too afraid to do otherwise. 

_ Stand firm. We must finish this.  _

It wasn’t bravery. It was pathetic. 

Elena supposed that was what made her a lesser doctor. Her old friends had done things their own way. They fought for what they believed. And what of her? 

She was a black moon, invisible in the night and black as the deepest void. She was the dark in the brightest of lights.

Sighing, Elena picked herself up and busied herself with mindless lab work. 

People always wished for evil to be gone from the world. From the beginning, it had always been her. The black moon was evil and should be dead. Elena inclined her head. She wouldn’t be facing any of this if she was dead. The Avengers wouldn’t have to deal with her; her friends wouldn’t have been hurt. And Lieselotte? She may not be working with Hydra.


	12. Pansy

Few stars were scattered across the night sky. The lights of the city drowned them out, but usually, the moon would have been seen. Tonight, however, that was not the case. It was a new moon, the sky a bit darker. A bit blacker. 

Leaning against the balcony rail, Elena half scoffed, half laughed. It was fitting, really, that the night she decided to get a bit of fresh air was the night of a black moon. It was as if the world was trying to tell her something. That is, if she believed in that kind of stuff. 

Her shirt clung onto her skin, her body aching and hot from sweat. She had just gotten out of a training session with Clint and Natasha, and to her satisfaction, she was able to decently pull back a bow. She wore a jacket over her shirt, the night still chilly despite how hot she felt. 

Staring off into the blank sky, Elena cocked her head to the side. She would have thought that after being stuck in her own head for four years, she would have accepted all the mistakes she had made. But as the days went on, Elena found that she hadn’t really been thinking about all her problems at all. She only began questioning them when she came out of her isolation. 

And that only made her mad. What had she been doing in her time alone? She couldn’t have just sat in a chair and whined about seeing cells. That was just a waste of time. 

But it was exactly what she had done. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” 

Steve moved to stand next to her, letting his arms rest on the rail. He looked up at the sky and laughed at her answer. 

“Why would I need a penny? They’re useless.” 

“Not if you have enough of them.” 

Elena shook her head, turning to face him. “There’s such a thing called dollar bills.” 

“Pennies exist too.” 

Snorting, she looked away. Silence barely settled over them before Steve spoke again.   
“Come on. You’ve been here for a little over two weeks now,” he said. “I barely even know you.” 

Elena frowned. “You know that I was a former doctor who was cursed after an experiment four years ago. Since then, I haven’t been seen until the day you so graciously saved me from Lieselotte.” 

“You make it sound like a bad thing.” 

“I could have taken him out on my own.” 

“Yeah, right,” he muttered under his breath. Elena glared at him, but he only chuckled. “Natasha’s beaten you every training session. And you’ve only just recently gained the strength to draw a bow.” 

“What does that have to do with anything?” 

Steve laughed, and again, the conversation died down. Elena shifted where she stood. There was something about Captain America that made you want to be the best person you ever could. Clint had said something along those lines in a training session, and he was right. Steve Rogers was a good man, so much so that it was scary. 

Elena hated it. She didn’t hate Steve, but she hated the way he made you want to be good. She hated that she didn’t want to let him down. Sighing, she supposed that there was no point fighting it. “You want to know what I’m thinking?” 

He looked at her in surprise. “I actually don’t have a penny.” 

She rolled her eyes, turning to the sky. She stared thoughtfully at the blank space where the moon would have been. “Heiyue,” she murmured darkly. 

“What?” 

“Fan Heiyue,” she said. “That’s my actual name. Black Moon.” 

“Heiyue,” Steve repeated, butchering the pronunciation. He followed her gaze to the empty spot in the sky. “It’s beautiful.” 

“It’s horrible.” 

“Heiyue.” 

“Don’t start calling me that,” Elena sighed. “Because I won’t answer.” 

“Why don’t you like it?” 

“Because it means black moon. Why would you name your child such an evil thing?” 

“Evil?” 

“Black and white are the colors of mourning and lost. They represent disaster. Evilness.” 

“Only if you believe in that kind of stuff.” Steve shrugged when Elena glanced at him. “If you don’t believe in that superstition, then black and white are just colors like any other.” 

Blinking, Elena cocked her head to the side. Cells danced in her eyes when a gust of wind loosened a piece of her hair. She bit the insides of her cheek. She hadn’t really thought about not believing. 

Frowning, she adjusted her glasses. It didn’t really matter, she concluded. Just because her mother didn’t believe in the superstition didn’t mean that she knew of it. Her mother knew the consequences of naming her the black moon. Elena was sure of it. 

“What about you?” she asked after a moment. 

“What about me?” 

“I’ve told you something about myself,” Elena said. “It’s your turn.” 

“Fair enough. What do you want to know?” 

Elena pursed her lip. She didn’t have anything she wanted to know particularly. Steve’s life story had been plastered all over. It was one of the first things she noticed when she first came to America. Elena found herself staring at one of the few stars that could be seen. She settled on a simple question. “Favorite color?” 

Steve’s jaw dropped open, and he seemed to freeze, speechless. Elena could have heard a pin drop in the split second of silence. She fiddled with her fingers, and Steve burst out into laughter. He doubled over, his voice coming out in shaky breaths. “Really?” he gasped. “Favorite color?” 

Elena only nodded, eyeing him with narrowed eyes. She shook her head when he finally calmed down, rubbing her wrist. 

“Light blue,” he managed. “Like the ocean.” 

“Mine is red. Like…” She trailed off. “Like cherries?” 

“Because of superstition?” 

Elena scoffed but nodded. “Yeah. Because of superstition.” 

“What’s your favorite movie?” 

“Mulan.” 

Steve had to think for a moment. “Avatar,” he finally said. 

“Avatar?” Elena echoed. She stared at his cells, inclining her head. “Really? Avatar?” 

“You don’t like it?” 

“No. Just…” Elena turned away, clearing her throat. She scratched her neck. “Isn’t that a bit recent?” 

Steve choked. “You’ve been spending too much time with Tony.” 

“Sorry,” Elena replied. “Just surprised.” 

“I’m not that old.” 

“Keep telling yourself that. Favorite flower?”

“I don’t know. Roses? What’s yours?” 

“I think it might be lavender,” Elena said. “At least, from what I can remember.” 

“I forget you can’t see like the rest of us.” 

Elena sighed. “Yeah. I suppose I’m lucky to be able to see at all. I’m sure there are blind people who would rather see cells than nothing.” 

“I heard from Tony that you all are working on a cure?” 

Grimacing, Elena nodded. “It’s slow progress.” 

“I don’t see why you can’t just see what’s wrong. You could see your own cells right?” 

“I can’t see my own eyes, and through a mirror, I see normally. And before you ask, no. I can’t extract my own eye cells. That’s a long and complicated process, and we do not have time for it.” 

Steve frowned. “How do other scientists do it?” 

“They—” Elena widened her eyes. “You’re a genius.” 

“I am?” 

Elena was already running. She smiled as she looked over her shoulder. “I owe you one!”

Stem cells. That was her answer. That was how she was going to find a cure.


	13. Shamrock

Elena groaned when the white lights hit her eyes. She shifted in her spot, burying her face deeper in her arms only to have a hand shake her awake. Groggily blinking open her eyes, Elena stifled a yawn. “What time is it?” 

“Ten in the morning,” Bruce replied. “You missed breakfast.” 

Elena sat up and startled when her eyes adjusted. This wasn’t her suite, she realized. It was the lab. Giving her head a shake, Elena cursed. She must have fallen asleep in the middle of working. What was she working on again? 

Bruce frowned at the many tools that were scattered in front of her, narrowing his eyes. He carefully picked up one of the syringes. “What were you doing last night?” he asked, squinting at the label. “Did you drug yourself?” 

“No!” Elena said. “Well, yes. Kind of? Look, I needed to extract stem cells.” 

“Stem cells?” 

Elena could see the gears turning in his head, and she couldn’t help but grin when the realization struck him. She chuckled at his reaction. 

“Stem cells! Of course!” Bruce moved to a screen, pulling up holograms. “Unspecialized cells that can develop into anything given the right conditions.” He suddenly paused, his head snapping to face Elena. “But they take days to harvest. You’d have to take that drug for several days before—did you overdose?” 

“I know what I’m doing.” 

“How in the world did you become a doctor?” 

“I’m not a doctor anymore, Doctor,” Elena sighed. “I don’t have to play by the rules.” 

“You could have killed yourself. Or  _ worse. _ ” 

“But I didn’t,” Elena insisted. “I can see my cells. I know when it’ll be too much.” 

“You’re spending way too much time with Tony.” 

She snorted. “Heard that before.” 

“Y’all talking ‘bout me? Good things, right?” 

Bruce crossed his arms as Tony strolled in. “You tell me.” 

Tony made a face, offering a fist bump to Elena only to be declined. He huffed and rolled his eyes, stopping midway when he noticed the syringes on the table. His eyebrows raised when he looked to the holograms that Bruce had pulled up. “What in the world are stem cells?” he muttered. “Jarvis?” 

Jarvis didn’t even get through the first sentence of the Wikipedia page he had begun reciting before Tony shut him down. “No, that’s enough of that.” He pursed his lip at the silence that came next. “Now, it’s too quiet. Jarvis, play Shoot to Thrill.” 

Elena groaned at the beat that began playing. She hated hard rock. It was too loud for her tastes. She glanced over at Bruce who didn’t even bat an eye. He just turned and began cleaning up the mess she had made last night as if he was used to the music. 

Sighing, Elena rummaged through the cabinets for a catheter, or a plastic tube. Closing her fingers around one, she took a deep breath. It had been too long since she held one in her hands. 

“You good there, Dumpling?” Tony yelled over the loud music. 

“Fantastic.” She turned. “You don’t happen to have an apheresis, do you?” 

“I have everything you’ve ever dreamed of,” he said, nodding to one of the machines against the wall. “Come on. I’ll get you hooked up.” 

Elena nodded and followed Tony, grabbing a chair on the way. Sitting, she let her head roll back and rest on the chair. She watched Tony set up the apheresis, so that it would separate her stem cells. 

There were two ways things could go once they had the cells. Either her whole body had been affected during the experiment which would have affected how her cells were made, and would therefore affect the new stem cells or her stem cells were normal and they could replace the cells that were in her eyes. 

Of course, there was another path but Elena preferred not to think about it. Unfortunately, it was the very thing Tony had decided to bring up. What if something went wrong with her stem cells because she had overdosed? She didn’t know the effects. 

“What?” Elena asked over the music when she realized Tony had been talking. He tried again, but Elena just shook her head. “No, stop. Jarvis, stop it.” 

Tony glared at her, but he didn’t make a move. “I said I didn’t see you as the type of person who takes risks. Overdosing to get your cells to do their things take guts. I like it.” 

“I’ve been told I’ve been spending way too much time around you.” 

Tony snorted, mocking anger. “There’s no such thing as too much time with me. I mean, have you seen me? I’m like a flashlight.” 

“I’m not sure having a beacon as a body is such a good thing,” Elena said. “It puts a target on your back.” 

“Gimme your arm.” 

Tony took the catheter from her hand and easily found the vein in her arm. Elena gritted her teeth, bracing for the sharp jolt. She kept her eyes on Tony’s steady hands and clenched her own fists. The pain never came, and Elena looked up in surprise. “What are you waiting for?” 

Tony frowned. “I’m no doctor, but aren’t we supposed to put you under anesthesia?” 

“Don’t need it,” she replied. “Come on. You’re wasting time. We don’t have all day.” 

“Actually, we do.” 

“Shut up.” 

Tony laughed. He carefully inserted the catheter, and Elena gasped. With all the talking, she had lowered her guard. She bit down on her tongue and shut her eyes. She tasted blood. 

“Regretting everything?” 

Elena opened her eyes. “I could kill you right now,” she said, voice tight. 

“Dumpling, I’m basically doing surgery on you right now. Try to keep the threats to a minimum.” 

Her stomach growled at the name, and Tony blinked. “Good grief, you’re hungry too? I hate to break it to you, but cannibalism is illegal.” 

Elena groaned. “That target on your back is looking real appealing.” 

“The bigger the better.” Tony chuckled, messing with the catheter. He squinted at it. “This is right, right?” 

“I thought the great Tony Stark was too great to ask help from poor peasants.” 

“This is a privilege, Dumpling. Would you rather me call for Banner?” 

“Don’t you dare.” Elena scowled at him over her glasses. She glanced down at her arm. “It’s fine. Hook me up.” 

“Are you scared of him?” 

“Of course not. I just don’t think he’d appreciate us risk takers.” 

Blood began cycling out of Elena’s vein and into the apheresis, where the stem cells would separate from the rest of the stream that would eventually end up back in Elena’s body. Elena watched the cells as Tony continued to talk. 

“You sure?” 

Elena rolled her eyes. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t particularly like being reprimanded about my health.” 

“No,” Tony hummed. “You just don’t want to anger him. What do you have against big green beings?” 

“Bruce has more control than that.” 

“How do you know?” 

She didn’t. She just hoped. “I just do,” she lied, cursing. “Shit, Tony. Are you trying to get a target?” 

The sincerity in his answer surprised her. Elena blinked. 

“Everyone has a target on their back,” he said. “Even that person in pajamas at Target. The difference is in size. I just so happen to have a big one that isn’t getting smaller any time soon, so—why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Sorry,” she said. “Just didn’t expect you to have any profound wisdom.” 

“Excuse you,” he scoffed. “I’m the wisest man you’ve ever met.” 

“No. I believe the wisest man I’ve had the privilege of knowing was my biology college professor.” 

Tony crossed his arms. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he retorted. 

“No, I—” Elena lurched forward. The room spun in circles, and she rubbed her temples at the sight of her three feet. 

“Dumpling?” Tony yelped in alarm. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Elena groaned. 

Tony’s hand hovered over the apheresis. “You sure?” 

Her stomach growled. “I’m just hungry.” 

Tony’s phone was out in a second. “What do you want? I’ll order.” 

“Dumplings,” she whispered. 

The word took a second to sink in, and Tony looked up. Elena imagined his smirk. “What?” he said. 

“Dumplings, damn it.” 

“Cannibalism is—” 

“Just order the food.” 

Tony chuckled, dialing a number. He turned as he spoke into his phone. 

Sitting up, Elena turned to her arm. She sighed. Overdosing to get her stem cells was a risk, and it seemed to have no effect. At least, none that was noticeable. It was the first of many risks that she would have to take in the coming days. And she couldn’t help but wonder when her luck would run out. 

She could only go so far without something going wrong.


	14. Purple Iris

By the time Elena was satisfied with the amount of stem cells they had extracted, she had almost fainted four times. Tony had gone down to the common room to pay for their food, leaving her alone with Bruce. She watched him carefully even though there was no point to. She couldn’t see his expression to gauge how upset he was. Her shoulders sagged in relief when he finally removed the catheter from her arm. 

Massaging her arm, she sighed. She stood and stretched before turning back to Bruce who had begun freezing some of the cells for later use. She frowned to herself. “Need any help?” 

Bruce glanced at her. “Go get something to eat. I’ll be fine.” 

Her stomach growled, but Elena shook her head. “No, I’ll help.” She grabbed a tray of cells and followed Bruce to a worktable. It was a long, complicated process, and Elena did feel a tinge of regret for not leaving for her dumplings. She wondered if Tony would have eaten without them. She certainly hoped not. 

“And that’s the last one,” Bruce said, closing the fridge. Snapping off his gloves, he tossed them into the trash. “Come on. Now, we really need to get you something to eat.” 

She followed him into the elevator, rubbing her wrist. Had she read the situation wrong? Was Bruce not angry at her for overdosing? Elena pursed her lip and leaned back against the wall. She supposed the logical thing to do was to just ask, so she did. 

“Doc?” she said. “Are you mad at me?” 

“I’m not mad at you, but I am angry.” He shrugged when Elena blinked. “I’m always angry.” 

“Right,” she muttered. 

“You shouldn’t take risks like that.” he said. “You never know the consequences. You got lucky this time. But what if you hadn’t?” 

“That doesn’t matter now,” Elena said. “Nothing happened.” 

Bruce shook his head and sighed. “You’re missing the point.” 

The elevator came to a stop, but neither of them made a move to leave. 

Elena drew her brows together. “Are you talking about the “or worse” you mentioned earlier?” 

Bruce didn’t answer. And when he did, he sounded weary like a soldier after years of war. “You and I both became who we are because of experiments gone wrong,” he said. “The difference is that I caused my own downfall.” 

Elena hesitated. “How?” 

“I took a risk.” Bruce paused before continuing. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I tested the serum I made on myself and upped the gamma radiation. They didn’t tell me what I was making, so I thought—I thought…” 

“You overdosed.” 

“Yes.” 

Elena looked down. Suddenly, it made sense why Bruce had gotten so worked up. Not that he shouldn’t have. Any doctor would have. 

“You know Lieselotte?” she said. 

“Whitehall? What does she have to do with anything?” 

“I was assigned to assist a Dr. Lisa Hallman for a supposedly life-changing experiment,” Elena continued. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “You know the story. Something went wrong, and the building collapsed.” 

“You were the only survivor.” 

“Except I wasn’t. There was a second. Lieselotte. She’s Dr. Hallman.” 

Bruce straightened. “That experiment.” His eyes widened. “It was a part of a scheme.” 

Nodding, Elena sighed. She didn’t say anything, letting the realization sink in deeper. The only sound was of the two breathing. Surprisingly, the air was void of tension. Everything was on the table now. The Avengers knew everything she knew of Lieselotte. It was a relief, honestly. 

She sighed in relief when Bruce didn’t ask why she had hid the piece of information. He stood, composed as always. Deep in thought. She’d admired Bruce in the past for the work that he’s done, but somehow, she found herself respecting him even more. He had gone through what she had but worse. Her curse at least didn’t hurt anyone. 

There was one thing Bruce was wrong about though. She was the reason she had the curse. She was weak, pathetic. At least Bruce had the decency to be confident when he upped the gamma radiation. 

“Dr. Banner, Dr. Fan?” 

Elena jumped at Jarvis’ voice. She cursed to herself, shaking her head. 

Bruce looked up. “Jarvis?” 

“Mr. Stark has a message.” Jarvis played an audio recording, and Tony’s voice came through. “If you two don’t get down here right now, I’m not leaving any dumplings for y’all. Just as well because Dumpling shouldn’t do cannibalism.” 

Rolling her eyes, Elena rubbed her wrist. She nodded at Bruce, and he nodded back. He followed her out of the elevator. 

They found Tony lounging on a couch with a glass of whiskey. He sighed when they approached and sat up. “Took you long enough,” he muttered. 

“Bored?” Elena said, piling some dumplings onto a paper plate. She smiled when she bit into one. 

“Quite the opposite actually,” he said, downing his whiskey. He slammed the glass on the coffee table. “I—” 

Heavy rain began pouring, hitting the glass like bullets. Elena turned in surprise, and her eyes widened. More than once, she thought the windows would break. 

Steve, Natasha, and Clint burst into the room. Bruce seemed to slump down in exasperation, and Tony only laughed. Elena blinked at them, setting down her plate. “What’s going on?” 

Lightning struck far too near for Elena’s liking, and it was only then when Tony groaned. 

“Tell me he didn’t hit anything,” he cursed. 

“He?” 

Thunder crashed, and a bright light filled the room. When it was gone, a new man stood in the door frame that led out onto the balcony. Elena blinked at the cells. Man was not the right word. His DNA was different. 

She glanced at Steve’s super soldier cells, but they didn’t match either. Nor did Bruce’s. 

“Hey, man,” Clint said. “Been awhile.”

“Agent Barton,” the non-man said. “Hello.” 

Tony stood up. “Pointbreak!” He opened his arms, laughing. “Did you come to raid my kitchen again? I’m afraid I don’t have any Pop-Tarts at the moment.” 

“Pointbreak?” Elena echoed. 

“Who’s the new girl?” Thor asked, plopping down next to Tony. He looked down at the coffee table and took Elena’s plate. 

“Thor, this is Dr. Elena Fan,” Natasha said, leaning against the couch behind Elena. 

“Doctor?” Thor laughed. “Banner, you have friends outside of work? Who would’ve thought?” 

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” 

“Wait, wait, wait. Back up. You’re Thor?” Elena cocked her head. “You’re an Asgardian?” 

Munching on one of her dumplings, Thor nodded. “That’s right.” 

Elena sat there unmoving. She stared at him, at his cells. That explained why they were different. She couldn’t believe she forgot the sixth member of the famed Avengers was a  _ god. _

Her stomach growled again. She frowned. “Well," she said. "Nice to meet you, but Asgardian or not, those are my dumplings.”


	15. Morning Glory

If all Asgardians were like Thor, Elena didn’t know if she could handle another one. It wasn’t that he was rude or arrogant, but his knowledge of Earth was atrocious. Elena felt as if she was speaking with her grandfather’s long lost twin, and that wasn’t particularly a good thing. God, if she had to explain again what a dumpling was she’d— 

Elena took a deep breath. It wouldn’t bode well if she’d lose her temper. She’d only just begun being honest to everyone. 

“So, what’s your thing?” Thor asked. 

“My thing?” 

Thor waved his hand. “Oh, you know. Stark has his iron suit, Agent Barton has his bow.” 

Elena blew at a strand of loose hair. “I’m cursed,” she said. “Isn’t exactly superhero friendly, but then again, I’m no hero. I’m not an Avenger, Thor, if that was what you thought.” 

“Cursed? How so?” 

“I can see cells.” 

“Cells?” Thor glanced at the others. “What’re those? Like the dungeon-y kind?” 

Elena stared at him. She wasn’t about to teach a man, much less a god, that was hundreds of years old biology as basic as it was. So instead, she just sighed. “Sure.” 

It was amazing how Asgard didn’t have the same technology as Earth. She was sure it was older than Earth, much older, and yet it was still stuck in times of the past. Didn’t any of the gods strive for a better life? An easier one? Elena couldn’t even imagine what life would be like without air conditioning. 

She smiled when Bruce groaned and began explaining cells. It was more reason to respect him. He was patient, and she was not. 

“The thirty-first is approaching.” 

Elena glanced behind her at Natasha. Scooting over to let her take a seat, she hummed. “Faster than I’d like. Have you made a plan yet?” 

“It’s hard without all the pieces. You sure you’ve told us everything?” 

Elena pursed her lip. “Did Bruce mention that Lieselotte is the doctor that was leading the experiment of my accident yet?” 

“What?” 

Elena sighed. “Guess not,” she muttered. “The experiment was a part of one of Hydra’s schemes. I don’t know what they’re looking for, but they’ve been searching for a long while." 

“We weren’t even a team yet four years ago,” Natasha murmured. 

Elena bit the insides of her cheek. “I’m sure they took months to plan it before then too,” she whispered. “Years maybe.” 

Natasha didn’t answer, and Elena looked down at her hands. Her cells swirled around like dandelions in the wind. It never ceased, and Elena had to wonder how something could just work with no stop. She knew she could never, yet the cells were her. 

If everything worked out, she would have a cure before the time came to meet Lieselotte. She wouldn’t be able to see cells, and Lieselotte wouldn’t have any use for her. Elena frowned, wondering how she would react when she found out. 

It probably wouldn’t be good. 

From what she knew of Hydra, Lieselotte would probably take out her anger on the Avengers as that was where she was. But if she went willingly to Lieselotte pretending to be the same, she’d cause the Avengers to rain fire. She supposed that they had been planning too, but it would be much more complicated with her as a hostage. 

Of course, all of it was assuming that she got the cure before then. 

When Elena stood, all heads turned to her. She blinked, feeling their eyes on her. “What?” she said. “Go back to whatever you’re doing. I need to think.” 

It didn’t surprise her when Natasha and Steve made a move to follow her, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to run,” she said, waving them back. “I’m not stupid; I learn from past mistakes.” 

Turning, Elena decided to take the stairs. She easily found her way to the piano. She played a quick scale before hesitating. Why was she at the piano when she could be in the lab? Even training would have been a better use of her time. 

But even if she wanted to go, she couldn’t. She was glued down behind the piano like a small child clinging onto his mother. Elena looked down. Was that what she was? 

A small, little child. A pathetic child. A  _ scared _ one. 

Her fingers crashed onto the piano keys with so much force, Elena thought she had broken them. The name of the piece didn’t come into mind until the end. Allegro barbaro, a composition by  Bartók. 

She didn’t even like Bartók. 

Elena grabbed her face in frustration. Groaning, she leaned forward, letting her forehead rest on the keys. She closed her eyes. 

Was she scared of Lieselotte? Or of what would come to pass if she managed to develop a cure? 

Or maybe both? 

“Elena?” 

Steve. 

She didn’t need her vision to know that he was watching her in concern. “I’m thinking,” she said. “Go away.” 

She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t leave, instead taking a seat in a chair. Sitting up, she glared at him. “I told you not to follow me.” 

“I have a dollar,” he said quietly. “No pennies.” 

Elena brushed her hair back with a hand. “Go away, Rogers.” 

He didn’t move, didn’t say a word. Somehow, that angered Elena more than if he were to speak. She huffed, standing. 

“Fine.” Her voice was venom. She didn’t even recognize it. “I’ll go.” 

She didn’t even bother to close the piano as she spun on her heels. Just as she was about to enter the room, Steve grabbed her wrist. Elena hissed, but he wouldn’t let go. 

“I didn’t even say anything,” he muttered. “Why are you so mad?” 

“I’m not mad.” Elena twisted around, throwing a punch. 

It didn’t faze him, but in the shock, he dropped her hand. He stepped back in surprise, and Elena blinked. She looked down at her own fist, frowning. 

“Sorry,” she muttered. 

Turning, Elena left him. She returned to her room, locking the door behind her. She slid down onto the ground, letting her arms fall limp behind her. Her head rolled back against the door, and she sighed. 

That was one relationship down the drain. 

Five more to go. 

Because if she couldn’t choose between Lieselotte or them, she would rather choose neither. 


	16. Amaryllis

Elena found her cure two days before the thirty-first. It was late at night, and both Bruce and Tony had retired. Adrenaline pumped in her blood, and her hands shook as she filled a syringe with the serum. Her stem cells had been tested to be genetically altered from the experiment four years ago, but with Tony’s equipment, Bruce’s brain, and her sight, they were able to do it. 

Plastered on her face was a wide grin, and Elena didn’t wait before injecting the serum into a vein. Pain shot through her, and it was as if her body broke apart for a split second before slamming back together. Hard. 

Dropping the syringe, Elena stumbled. She leaned against the table, gasping. Blurry rainbows bloomed in her vision, but she couldn’t close her eyes. She stared at the cells before her, mouth agape. Another jolt pierced her head. This time, she didn’t even flinch. She could see bone. Then, blood. Her eyes widened. 

One by one, the cells blinked into oblivion, replaced with what should’ve been. Elena’s knees slammed to the ground. Once the tears started coming, they wouldn’t stop no matter what she did. 

She did it. 

She had finally cured herself. 

Curling up into a ball, Elena hugged her knees. She rocked back and forth, breathing heavily. Moonlight peeked in between the blinds, lighting the dimmed room. Tons and tons of equipment were splayed on the tables, a mess that would have stopped even Clint’s heart. 

She didn’t care though. It would have to be a tomorrow problem because right now, Elena didn’t want anything to do with her issues. Not Lieselotte, not the Avengers, not anything. She just wanted to  be happy. 

When her energy had worn off, Elena didn’t think she could even muster enough strength to breathe. She lied on her back, the tile floor warm against her body. Fatigue seeped into her skin like a sponge soaking up water, and her eyes threatened to close and never open again. The only thing she seemed to be able to do was open her mouth in a yawn. 

Her breathing had slowed, steadied. Her tears were gone, leaving her face damp with “moisture. Everything was so still, Elena didn’t dare move. If this was all a dream, she wished it would never end. She didn’t know what she’d do then. 

Before she could start sobbing again, Elena brought her hand to her eyes. She squeezed them shut, willing for the last of her tears away. Breathing in, she couldn’t help but cry out. 

“Damn it,” she whispered, muttering a string of curses. 

Her muscles screamed at her when she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She almost let herself fall back. Her bones were on fire, but she pulled herself up. If she didn’t know any better, Elena would have thought her left foot had switched with her right. 

“Shit.” She didn’t even hear herself. Quite frankly, Elena didn’t even know if she had managed to speak. 

The only thing that kept her standing was her forearms that were propped up on the table. Elena snorted, giggling in the dark. She imagined what she looked like in someone else’s eyes. She must have looked like a zombie. 

Elena pulled her glasses off of her face, letting them drop on the table. She pushed herself back only to stumble, but she didn’t fall. Everything moved in slow motion. The back of the room seemed right in front of her and what was in front of her seemed to be so far. She reached a hand out, catching herself on a chair. 

Laughing again, Elena collapsed at the base of the chair. Her head landed on its soft cushions, and her arms grasped the back post. This time, she couldn’t stop her failing eyelids. They drooped down so low, no one would have been able to tell that they were open. 

This is annoying, she thought before sleep claimed her. 

It was not until two in the afternoon when Elena finally came back to her senses. Eyes still closed, she smiled. It was so nice to just see the back of her eyelids. Hours ago when she still saw the cells, closed eyes only meant an escape from most. There were still some cells that managed to be seen in the dark. Elena hated those the most. 

When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself back in her suite. And on her own bed for once. Her things had been pushed to the side, either on a table or the floor. Lightly snoring, Tony sat, cross legged on a chair to the side. 

Elena hated to admit it, but she stared. It had been so long since she saw someone. The brief moment when she first came to the tower didn’t count. She was confused, then. Her thoughts had been addled with the idea of being in the tower of heroes. 

Honestly, it still was. 

Throwing the covers off her body, Elena stood. And all she did was stand. Because what else could she have done? 

There was nothing left to do. Elena bit her lip and glanced back at Tony. That was, there was nothing left to do that she wanted to do. She was scheduled to meet Lieselotte the next day, but from the twelve percent of the plan she had, that meeting was never going to happen. 

After burning her bridge with Steve, Elena couldn’t bring herself to break off any other ties. It hurt too much. She didn’t need any more Christine Palmers. However, she was out of time. She had a day to prepare herself. 

A day to finish off her plan. 

But first, she needed a change of clothes. Elena rummaged through her backpack that had been hastily tossed onto the floor. She chose a pair of ripped jeans and a soft t-shirt, knotting her hair up in a bun. Slipping into her shoes, she pulled on her jacket. 

Elena eyed Tony, frowning. She would have to wait until later before she packed her things. It would have been suspicious if he woke to find her things packed and ready. 

Humming to herself, she rubbed her wrist. She cocked her head to the side, thoughts waiting to be sorted into coherent notions. Elena walked out of her room.

She supposed the first thing she should do was to fill as many syringes as she could with her serum. From previous tests, the effects only lasted two days before it had to be reapplied. Elena sighed. She only hoped Tony or Bruce didn’t toss the serum out after she had been found. 

No, she thought. They wouldn’t do that. It was the result of their hard work, and it would have been stupid to throw it away. 

To her relief, Bruce was nowhere to be found. The lab was sparkling clean. No outsider would have known the hurricane it had been the night before. And to her surprise, someone had already filled up the syringes. 

Elena smiled. Tony and Bruce had known the results of their tests, so one of them had probably done it for her. She would have to thank them later. 

Gathering the syringes in her bag, Elena left the lab. That was step one of her ongoing plan. Now, to step two. 

Figure out where Tony kept his keys.


	17. Columbine

Elena’s plan was simple. Borrow one of Tony’s cars and drive away before Lieselotte could do anything. 

Well, it would have been simple if she knew where Tony kept his keys. She had been searching for over an hour, yet she had barely scratched the surface. Avengers Tower may have looked grand on the outside, but it would’ve been hell if anyone lost anything. 

Slumping down in a nearby chair, Elena sighed. She ran a hand through her hair, and leaned forward. Was escape really this hard? It wasn’t like she was going to steal anything. She’d return it… one day. 

God, she sounded like a thief. 

All she wanted was to leave. Meet with Lieselotte on her own terms, and fix everything with minimal damage. If she stayed, then who knows what would happen? Especially when the Avengers seemed to draw attention anywhere they went. 

Footsteps drew Elena out of her thoughts. She looked up. Clint walked towards her, and Elena choked. She gaped at his white shirt. 

“What are you wearing?” she asked, standing. 

Clint glanced down at himself. “Huh? Does this look bad?” 

“Since when did you own a shirt that wasn’t purple?” 

He did not look amused. “I happen to own a shirt of every color, thank you very much.” 

“Right.” 

“Nat just happened to purge my closet yesterday,” he muttered. “Said that if she didn’t, I’d be wearing the same thing every day.” 

Laughing, Elena covered her mouth. “She’s right.” 

“Do you really have so little faith in me?” 

Elena grinned. “As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, I do.” 

Clint snorted and shook his head, but Elena caught his small smile. She nodded at him. 

“Seriously though, you actually tried to dress up today,” she said, eyeing his neat hair. Elena inclined her head when she saw a hearing aid, blinking. “What’s the occasion?” 

“Nat wouldn’t let me out of my room until I cleaned up,” he said. “So I figured why not go out for coffee since I’m already dressed.” 

Elena narrowed her eyes. “And how many cups would this coffee run take you?” 

Clint didn’t even hesitate. “Fourteen,” he said, daring her to argue. 

Elena raised her hand in surrender. Rolling her eyes, she cursed under her breath. “We’ll have a problem when you reach twenty. Anyway, get me one?” 

“I might drink it all by the time I get back.” 

She stared at him, deadpanned, and Clint laughed. “Okay, okay. One coffee for the doctor, coming right up.” 

Elena watched him leave, biting the insides of her cheek. She pursed her lips. She didn’t know why she asked for a coffee when she planned to be gone before he returned. Sighing, she shook her head. Maybe it was best to let him believe that she wasn’t going anywhere. 

Turning away, she continued searching for Tony’s keys for another hour before giving up. She’d just have to hope for a voice command system. Worse case scenario, she’d have to hail a taxi. 

Before long, Elena ended back up in her suite. She looked around, letting out a breath of relief when she realized Tony had left. She wasted no time in gathering her things, stuffing them all in her bag. She didn’t know how she had managed to fit everything in the first time. 

She struggled to zip it shut, and in the end, she gave up and left part of the bag open. Clicking her tongue, she stood and looked out the window. Dusk wouldn’t be for a couple of hours, and knowing Clint, he’d be out for at least another hour. When it came to coffee, she knew he would stay out as long as he could just to buy more. 

Elena ran her hand along the window sill. There was only one more thing left to do before she would have to leave. Write a note. 

When she found a pen, the words came out surprisingly easy. It was almost like writing a diary entry, only it wasn’t too personal. Elena stared down at the note, rubbing her wrist. It seemed almost too easy to write the apology, the farewell. 

Did that mean she didn’t actually like them? That she wasn’t friends with them? 

Somehow, the thought comforted her. It was better to leave with little to no bonds that could lead her back. 

Picking up her backpack, Elena nodded once. She left her room and didn’t look back. It was finally time. 

To her relief, she didn’t run into anyone as she walked. She did, however, stop in her tracks when she passed the training room. Looking back, she blinked. It would have been stupid to leave without a weapon. 

Elena quickly grabbed a bow off the wall with a quiver of arrows. Slinging them on her back, she looked around before moving away. This time she was actually stealing, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

Elena’s breath caught when she opened the door to the garage. Her heart skipped a beat at the line of cars. She knew Tony was a billionaire, but her imagination had done his collection of cars an injustice. Rows and rows of colorful cars lined the garage, and Elena froze at the selection she had to choose from. 

In her head, she thought Tony would have at least one average-looking car, but she was wrong. Elena didn’t even know why she thought it. It was unlike Tony to not want to flaunt his wealth. 

She walked deeper into the garage, clearing her throat. Tony was going to kill her if she scratched any of the cars. And if he didn’t, she would herself. The cars were worth more than her for goodness sake. 

Standing in the middle of the garage, Elena looked up. “So uh,” she said out loud to herself. “Hello? Voice command? Is that a thing here?” 

Silence answered her. 

Elena jutted out her lower lip. She looked around at a loss. Out of curiosity, she walked towards the nearest car, trying the door. It was locked, but Elena stopped at a button on the door handle. 

She pressed it. 

“Voice activation required.” 

Yelping, Elena stumbled back and barreled into another car. She gasped and spun at her heels. To her relief, she didn’t leave a scratch. 

“Uh, here’s my voice, I guess?” 

A beep. 

Elena tried the door again, but the voice repeated itself.   
“Voice activation required.” 

Frowning, she scratched her head. “Elena,” she said. “Elena Fan.” 

Another beep. 

“Dr. Fan?” 

_ Beep.  _

Elena bit down on her lip, rubbing her wrist. She didn’t even know if Tony had added her to his security. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he hadn’t. She wasn’t an Avenger. 

But there was one last thing she could’ve tried. 

“Dumpling,” she said. 

“Welcome, Dumpling.” The door clicked open, and Elena could have laughed. 

She carefully opened it, swallowing at the fancy interior. Shaking her head, she tossed her things to the backseat, shrugging off her bow. Just when she was about to get inside, the door opened. 

Elena snapped up, immediately freezing. 

Tony didn’t look happy to see her. His forehead creased with confusion, and anger radiated off of him. “Dumpling,” he said curtly. “What the fuck are you doing?” 

Her mouth went dry, and Elena opened her mouth. No words came out. 

Tony crossed his arms. “That was a question.” 

“I’m uh,” Elena glanced at the car, “borrowing.” 

Before he could say another word, she climbed inside and slammed the door shut. She gulped when Tony began walking towards her. Quickly looking around, she found a handprint on the dashboard. She hovered her hand above it. 

“Voice activat—” 

“Dumpling.” Her voice had shot up several octaves, but Tony’s security recognized it nonetheless and the car started. 

“Hey!” Tony hissed. “Dumpling!” 

“I’m sorry, Tony,” she whispered, hitting the gas. Her stomach flipped, the car backing up faster than she had ever gone before. 

“Jarvis, I want—” 

Elena was louder. “Open the garage gate!” 

The gate began to rise, and Tony was now running. Elena winced at him, noticing that he was one button away from changing into his suit. If that happened, she didn’t know how she would escape. 

“Close it! Jarvis, close that gate!” Tony shouted curses. “Dumpling, stop where you are! Let’s talk this out!” 

Elena looked away. “I’m sorry, Tony!” she repeated, louder this time. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Elena!” 

Elena’s hair flew back behind her as she drove the car straight towards the closing gate. She winced at the rearview mirror. Tony, it seemed, had froze, staring at her in disbelief. 

She looked away, squeezing her eyes shut as she approached the gate. This was going to be a big crash. 

Miraculously, Elena didn’t crash. Somehow, she made it safely out of the garage, and the gate shut behind her. No glass had broken, but one look at the roof sent chills right down to her bones. 

The dent was so big you wouldn’t have been able to tell what it was supposed to look like. Tony was really going to kill her the next they met.


	18. Rainflower

A single lamp post lit up the abandoned parking lot. It flickered, but that didn’t scare Elena. In fact, she found it comforting. It was a light in the dark, and she needed that. Especially given the fact that the ruins of the old lab stood in front of her. 

Sitting in the car, Elena watched the shadows. Even though it was only the thirtieth, she expected Lieselotte to pop out of a corner. It wouldn’t surprise her. She was a villain, after all. Who knew what they planned? 

Elena pulled out a pad of paper, biting down on her lip. She sucked in a breath. Why was it harder to write a note to Lieselotte than the others? It made absolutely no sense. 

Then again, nothing made sense. 

How could it? The universe was riddled with aliens and magic. The only thing that made sense was that nothing made sense. 

Sighing, Elena clicked open her pen. She frowned and began to scrawl a note. As much as she wished to have nothing more to do with Lieselotte, she didn’t want the Avengers to have to deal with her. It was better to leave a note. 

She stepped out of the car, tearing the paper out of the notepad. Elena slowly approached the ruins. She gulped as her hands began shaking. Her eyes flashed, and soon, her whole body began to tremble. 

Elena saw stars. Coughing, she bent down. She struggled for breath, and her eyes watered. Panic ensued. The note flew out of her hand, but she didn’t care. With her hands free, she covered her eyes and choked out a scream. 

She couldn’t do this. 

She should just turn back. 

She should just stop. 

_ Stand firm. We must finish this.  _

Just stop. 

_ Stand firm. We should just finish this.  _

Stop. 

_ Stand firm. We should just finish this.  _

Elena screamed again. She grabbed her head, screwing her eyes shut. Why couldn’t Lieselotte just leave? She gasped for breath, but what little was returned to her was spent on more cries. 

She slammed her fists into the ground until they bled, and even then, she did not stop. 

Elena didn’t even know how she stopped, but the next thing she remembered was the white labs, the big machines.  _ The screaming.  _

Why did she have to survive? Out of everyone, she deserved it the least. 

Why did she have to be different? 

Why? 

Elena looked up at the blank sky. She bit on her tongue in an attempt to stop shaking. Her fingers found their way to the note she had written, and her fists closed around it. It crumbled in her hand, and she dropped it back onto the ground for the wind to blow away. 

She turned away, and it wasn’t until she was back in the car when she let out a breath. Groaning, she buried her face in her hands. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at the old lab without seeing what it had been before. 

And yet, she couldn’t just leave either. Elena rubbed her wrist. She focused on her breathing, but whenever she thought she would be okay, she wasn’t. 

More than once the thought of just driving through the lab popped into mind, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to imagine the pain that would bring. And she couldn’t just ruin Tony’s car. She was borrowing. 

So she just sat there at a loss, pulled in two opposite directions like a game of tug-o-war. Elena closed her eyes. Really, there was one thing she wanted to do. 

But the thought of what would happen if she did made her heart stop. 

Because she didn’t know what would happen. 

Elena’s hand hovered over her phone like a cat ready to pounce. The hairs on her arm bristled, and blood had drained out of her face. That was a question, wasn’t it. What in the world would Christine Palmer do if she texted? 

Would she be angry? Would she be sad? 

Would she ignore her? 

Sweat dripped down the sides of her face, and she almost threw her phone to the back with the rest of her things, but one look at the lab pushed her over the line. 

Elena opened her phone, wincing at her wallpaper. She really needed to change it. Her breath hitched when she found her text thread with Chrstine. Her heart hurt. 

**EF: christine**

Almost immediately, the little text on the bottom screen appeared.  _ Read 12:48 AM.  _

No answer. She tried again. 

**EF: christine please**

Again, the little text appeared. Elena wanted to scream, but she couldn’t just give up when Christine was right there. She was so close. 

**EF: i need you**

The tears started up again, and she sunk down in her seat. “Christine,” she softly whined. Her voice was hoarse. Then, a text bubble popped into view. 

Elena stopped breathing. She sat up so fast she almost hit her head on the roof of the car. She could have screamed at the three dots. Never had she thought she’d be so happy to see them. 

**CP: Where are you?**

Covering her mouth, Elena drew a shaky breath. She wiped away her tears. 

**EF: the old lab**

**CP: Can you wait fifteen minutes?**

**EF: yes**

If she wasn’t already sitting, Elena would have collapsed right there. She brought her knees to her chest, hugging them as if they were a life line. She still cared. 

Christine still cared. 

True to her word, Christine pulled into the parking lot in fifteen minutes. She parked next to her and climbed out of her car. Elena opened her door, staring at her friend in disbelief. 

She looked exactly as she had remembered. 

Elena slowly rose to her feet, mouth opening and closing. Now that she was here, she didn’t know what to say. It had been so long, and they didn’t end on a high note. 

“Elena,” Christine said. 

Elena’s heart skipped a beat. “Christine,” she whispered, pausing. She hesitated. “Can I—can I hug you?” 

When she nodded, Elena thought her chest might explode. She didn’t need to be told twice, throwing her arms around her. She didn’t even realize she had begun to cry again. 

“I missed you so much,” she murmured. 

Christine wrapped her arms around Elena, squeezing hard. When she spoke, her voice was thick. She was crying too. 

“Me too,” she said. “I missed you too.”


	19. Pink Tulip

“So are you and Stephen a thing now?” 

Elena sat cross-legged on the couch, a pillow on her lap. She nursed a mug of tea in her hand, and a blanket was wrapped around her shoulders. Christine’s apartment had not changed one bit in the last four years. It still smelled of lavender, and just the whiff of it put a stupid grin on Elena’s face. 

Harboring her own mug, Christine sat next to Elena. She laughed at the question, hiding her smile in her mug. “Yeah,” she said. “We are.” 

“Finally!” Elena said. “It took you long enough.” 

Christine laughed again, her green eyes mirroring Elena’s. She looked away, a faint red blossoming on her cheeks. She cleared her throat. “What about you?” she asked. “Have you found anyone yet?” 

Elena’s smile fell. She bit the insides of her cheek. She hadn’t exactly told Christine what she’d been up to the last four years. Or rather, she hadn’t told her of the mess she had become. “No,” she said quietly. “Not yet.” 

“It’s fine,” Christine said. “I can wait.” 

Elena hummed, sipping her tea. They had always joked on having a double wedding, and she didn’t want to be the one holding Christine back if Stephen was the one. She tilted her head to the side. 

“You don’t have to,” she whispered. 

“Hey.” Christine leaned forward, shooting her an indignant look. “I’ll wait.” She held out her pinky. “Promise.” 

That couldn’t stop the grin on Elena’s face. She laughed, and brought her pinky to meet Christine’s. “Promise.” 

“Good.” Christine straightened. 

She smiled at Elena, who felt as if she was living a dream. She couldn’t find a single trace of suspicion or resentment on Christine, and she couldn’t decide whether that was a good or bad thing. 

“So how have you been?” Christine whispered, seeming to sense her thoughts. Once upon a time, Elena could have done the same. 

Pressing her lips together in a thin line, Elena took a long drink from her tea. She turned away, but Christine’s eyes never wavered from her. After a few minutes, she finally put her mug down and rubbed her wrist. 

“Okay,” she said. 

“Okay.” 

Elena met Christine’s green eyes. She forced a smile. “Nothing happened,” she said. And it was the truth. For most of the four years they had been apart, Elena had been sulking in her apartment. The last few weeks, however, that was a different story. 

“But I may be on a run from the strongest people on this planet.” 

Christine blinked at that. She set her mug down next to Elena’s. “I’m afraid I’m going to need a little more context than that.” 

Half laughing, Elena shook her head. She pursed her lip. “Do you remember the experiment?” 

“I don’t think I can ever forget that. It was the moment that gave you that ability of yours.” She paused. “Wait. Can you see me right now? Normally?” 

“Yeah. I found a cure.” 

Christine smiled, reaching out a hand to squeeze Elena’s. “Congratulations,” she said. 

“Thanks, but,” Elena huffed, raising her hands in frustration. She didn’t know where to start. She didn’t even know if it was possible to coherently explain the events of the past few weeks. The easiest way would have been to start from the beginning. 

And so she did. “Remember Dr. Hallman?” she said. “She’s alive, and her name is Lieselotte Whitehall.” 

For the first time, Elena told the whole story from start to finish. She didn’t leave out a single detail. She even spoke of her childhood, of Heiyue. 

Christine didn’t say a word the whole time, listening intently to the story. Only when Elena finished did she speak. “Are you alright?” 

Elena choked on air. She stared incredulously at her friend. “That’s your question?” she asked. “After all that?” 

“Should it not be?” 

“It should be the least of your concerns. Hell, Lieselotte could be plotting the end of the world from what we know.” 

“But it’s not.” Christine crossed her arms. “Elena, are you alright?” 

Elena bit on the insides of her cheek. She looked away as Christine drew her in for a hug. “I think I’m doing better right now than I have been the past four years,” she whispered. 

“Good.” Christine nodded. 

They didn’t move for several minutes, each cherishing the presence of the other. Elena hadn’t felt so warm in a long time, and she didn’t want to let go. But she couldn’t stay there forever. She couldn’t place Christine in Lieselotte’s path. 

When they finally pulled apart, Christine placed her hands on her hips. She shook her head. “Now, I think you should have stayed with the Avengers.” 

Rolling her eyes, Elena groaned. She had been waiting for the lecture. “I can’t go back now,” she protested. “I already left. Besides…” 

“What? Besides what?” 

Elena gulped. “You saw the car. Tony’s going to kill me if I go back.” 

Christine snorted, but she didn’t push. She picked up her mug and took a drink. “Stephen’s the same, you know?” she said. “If I wrecked his car, he’d have my head. And god, his watches. He has so many!” 

Elena thought back to her memories of Stephen Strange. She scrunched up her nose when she thought up the several times in which they played trivia. Elena had been incredibly jealous of his photographic memory. To be honest, she still was. While she had to work and spend countless hours memorizing and studying, Stephen only had to read over a paragraph once to understand it. 

Huffing, she hugged the pillow she had been holding. “What about Nic?” she asked. “How’s he?” 

Nicodemus West had been the fourth member of their little friend group. While neither Stephen nor Christine liked him very much, Elena had a fairly good relationship with him. Christine was quick to follow her lead and act friendly around him, but Stephen took convincing. 

Well, that was before they had drifted apart. 

Christine sighed. “Stephen completely stopped dealing with him when you weren’t around to stop them. I’ve tried acting as the peacekeeper, but they’re just both so…” She made a face. “Childish.” 

“That doesn’t sound like Nic.” 

“He’s changed,” Christine said. “He’s become more neglectful. Ignorant too.” Her voice quieted. “He’s become kinda like you when you were fired.” 

Elena didn’t say anything. She reached for her mug, frowning when she found it empty. Sighing, she stood. “It’s getting late,” she said. 

Christine snorted. “I was under the premise that it was already late,” she said, taking Elena’s mug. She moved to the dishwasher. “You texted around one.” 

Elena winced. It was two in the morning now. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be. I wouldn’t have wanted you to kill yourself over there. You’re my friend.” 

Smiling softly, Elena followed Christine to her bedroom. She sat down on the bed, sinking into the blankets. It had been quite a long time since they shared a bed, but for as long as she could remember, Christine would never allow her to just crash on the couch when she stayed over. Old habits were hard to break. 

Flipping off the light switch, Christine climbed under the covers. Elena followed her lead, turning so that their backs faced each other. The presence of another human had never felt more comforting. 

Elena bit the insides of her cheek. She felt as if she could do anything with Christine by her side. She felt as if she could somehow outsmart Lieselotte and defeat her once and for all. And that was a pretty nice feeling. 

“Good night, Chris,” she whispered, but Christine was already asleep. 

Elena closed her eyes. It was the best night sleep she had in a long time, and the only one she would have for another while.


	20. Purple Violet

“You have everything right?” 

“That’s the eleventh time you asked,” Elena sighed. “But yes. I do.”

“You sure? Snacks, clothes, charger, GPS? Wait, do you—” 

“Right here.” Elena held up a toothbrush. She grinned. “I got everything. And I could always stop by a convenience store if I need anything.” 

Christine took a breath. “Right,” she said. “Right, sorry. It’s just,” she sighed, weaving her hand through her hair. “I wish I was going with you.” 

Elena frowned. “I told you. It’s too dangerous. Besides, you still have work.” 

“I know, I know.” Christine pulled Elena in for a hug. “Call me if you run into any trouble, ‘kay?” 

“I will,” Elena murmured. “I’ll even call when I get to the hotel.” 

“Good.” 

Christine pulled back. She was wearing her scrubs, all ready to be at the hospital even though her shift wouldn’t be starting for another hour. But before she headed there, she would be making a quick stop at the old lab to drop off a new note for Lieselotte. 

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, closing the car door after Elena climbed in. “We should go out when you get back,” she said. “You, me, and Stephen. And Nic could come too.” 

Elena smiled. “I’d like that,” she said. 

“Maybe lunch together? We haven’t done that in ages.” 

“Yeah. Lunch is nice.” 

Starting the car, Elena took a deep breath. “Sounds great,” she said. “I’ll see you at lunch, then.” 

Christine laughed. “I’ll see you at lunch.” 

Elena began backing up. She met Christine’s eyes one last time before nodding and driving out of the parking garage. She immediately hit the highway, eyes intent on the road. Earlier the morning, Christine had kindly booked a hotel for her in Roanoke, Virginia. It was a seven hour drive, and Elena would have driven even farther if it weren’t for her friend. 

She would have liked to just continue driving forever, but Christine had called it dangerous and stupid. Elena knew she was right, but dangerous and stupid had been her name for the past few weeks. There was nothing wrong with a little more of it. She gave in, though, as Christine had booked a hotel. She wasn’t about to waste money. 

Before she had borrowed Tony’s car, Elena hadn’t driven anywhere in ages. Not even before the accident. She didn’t even own a car. She remembered hating driving. It got on her nerves, and it always made her anxious to be in control of a two ton machine that had the power to end lives. 

One mistake could have brought everything down, and she hated that. She still did. After all, it was one mistake that changed her life forever. 

But Elena felt strangely calm being behind a wheel. Maybe it was because it was a change or because she had nothing else to lose. Whatever it was, she certainly found driving to be more thrilling than before. 

With the windows rolled down, Elena felt the rush of the wind. Her hair flew behind her as if they were a comet’s tail. She laughed to herself, hands relaxed on the wheel. She cherished the green trees that passed her, and there was not a single cloud in the blue sky. 

Driving gave her something to think about. It didn’t give her the opportunity to think about anything but the road before her. Elena quickly found a steady rhythm, and she didn’t dare stop it until she absolutely had to. The hours went by slowly, but Elena didn’t mind. She enjoyed her empty thoughts, and she didn’t want to ever go back to the ones that mattered. 

It was a little over five o’clock when Elena finally pulled into the hotel’s parking up. A little disappointed to have stopped driving, she sighed and grabbed her bag. She hesitated at the bow. She would’ve felt a lot better if it was with her inside, but it was a weapon. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself. 

Elena eventually decided to leave the bow, but she hid the quiver of arrows in her bag to be safe. Finally standing, she choked on her own spit. She wobbled as she shut the car door shut, grimacing. She cursed under her breath. It hadn’t been too long since she stood. It had only been three and a half hours. 

She got checked into her room quickly, and it didn’t take long for her to collapse on the bed. Even though she had been sitting down most of the day, her feet ached. Her stomach growled, and Elena groaned. She didn’t want to go to a restaurant, nor did she want to order anything. 

Sitting up, she unzipped her bag. Tossing the quiver to the side, she rummaged through her things. By the time she found a pack of strawberry Pop-Tarts she had swiped from Thor, she had made a mess. She didn’t even bother to fix it, stuffing everything back in as she tore open a Pop-Tart. 

She was on her third when it felt like she had been struck in the head with lightning. Gasping, Elena convulsed forward, dropping the Pop-Tart. She swallowed down bile, tasting the sour tang. Covering her mouth with a hand, Elena dropped onto her knees. 

Dots danced in her eyes, and it didn’t take long before Elena realized that they weren’t thoughts. They were cells. The effects of the serum were fading. Elena grabbed her bag, and cursed when the syringes weren’t where she had left them. 

She must have tossed them somewhere after she found food. Coughing, Elena’s eyes widened when the blood that came out were cells. She gritted her teeth, and turned her backpack upside down to dump everything. Where were the damn syringes? 

Elena stiffened when she began seeing her skin cells. She resisted the urge to close her eyes and searched harder. It was then when her vision blacked out. 

Now panicking, Elena’s hand wrapped around something promising. She didn’t even bother waiting for her vision to come back before plunging it into her skin. Only, it wasn’t the syringe. 

“Damn you, Clint,” she practically yelled, tossing the suction-tip arrow across the room. 

When she finally found a syringe, Elena slumped down in relief only to jerk up. She gulped, forgetting about the even more pain that came with injecting the serum. Rolling onto her side, she bit down her tongue, letting metal mix with sour bile. 

Elena slumped down when it was over. Tears had begun running down her face, and she hauled herself up on the bed. She didn’t even care about the Pop-Tart that was laying on the carpet, slamming a pillow over her face. 

Drawing in a deep breath, Elena forced her muscles to relax with no success. It was going to be a long night.


	21. Blue Hyacinth

The hotel breakfast was a disappointment compared to the omelet Christine had whipped up the previous morning. Even the breakfast at Avengers Tower was better, and none of the heroes were particularly good at cooking. Choking down the last of her soggy scrambled eggs, Elena heaved forward. She gasped, covering her mouth as she shut her eyes. 

She waited for the taste to fade away, but it never quite did. The salt stuck onto her tongue, and the watery flavor refused to leave. She groaned. She could handle bile and blood, but soggy scrambled eggs was a nightmare. 

Standing, Elena dumped her plate into the trash and made her way back to her room. She planned to depart as soon as possible. This time, she’d have nothing holding her back. Christine wasn’t here to lecture her on the risks of driving for long periods, and there was no hotel reservation to stop her. She could drive as far and as long as she wanted to. 

Elena was wrong though. 

When she came before her door, Elena froze. Her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. She stared at the envelope on the gray carpet. Her name was scrawled on the front. 

She recognized the handwriting immediately. 

Elena traced her thumb over the delicate cursive, and her eyes darkened. She narrowed them, clenching her fists as a curse passed through her lips. 

Lieselotte. How in the world did she already find her? It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours. 

Opening her door slowly, Elena walked in cautiously, eyes darting to every shadow. She gulped, hairs bristling. Even when she found nobody, she didn’t dare let out a breath. Elena didn’t even realize her trembling hands until she looked back down at the envelope. 

It didn’t take long for curiosity to get the better of her, and she tore it open. Dropping the envelope to the floor, Elena unfurled the paper inside. Just one glance at it irked her. 

Shouting, Elena ripped the paper in half, but it was already too late. The words were already seared in her brain. 

_ Darling, what happened to standing firm?  _

Elena hated it. She hated that she could hear Lieselotte’s voice in her head. She hated it all. 

Grabbing her bag, Elena headed out. She swallowed a scream, the thumping of her heart echoing in her head. She pressed the button on the car handle. 

“Voice activation required.” 

“Dumpling,” she snapped, grimacing before her voice even sounded. She shook her head, repeating the name quieter. “Dumpling.” 

Elena pulled on the door handle, eyes turning into saucers when it didn’t open. Instead, a voice message began playing. 

“Access denied,” said the voice automation before switching over to Tony’s voice. A hologram was projected onto the sidewalk. 

He didn’t look too happy, and her face fell. “Dumpling,” he started, clapping his hands behind his back. His voice sent chills down Elena’s spine, and she stepped back. It surprised her how much she missed him. How much she missed everyone. She frowned. When did this happen? 

“I’ve removed you from the system, so don’t try anything stupid again. By the time you’re watching this, we’ll probably be on our way to you. Don’t go anywhere.” 

Tony paused. “By the way, what kind of crap hotel are you staying at? Have you seen the reviews? They’re shit. Don’t tell me you actually ate breakfast there.” 

This time Elena didn’t bother to stop her scream. She punched the car, not even caring about Tony’s reaction whenever he would see it. Breathing heavily, Elena slammed her bag onto the ground. She crouched down to sit on the sidewalk, muttering expletives. 

If Lieselotte had already managed to find her, there was no way Tony and the others would arrive in time. She had to move. But where? 

Scooping her bag back up, Elena slammed it at the car window until the glass shattered. She cut her hand as she reached inside, but there was nothing she could do about it. She was out of time. Elena’s hand wrapped around her bow, and from there, she began running. She didn’t know where she was running, but she was running. 

There was a Metro conveniently across the street from the hotel, and Elena didn’t hesitate in catching a ride. She found a seat in the back. The Metro wouldn’t take her far, but it was the best bet she had at the moment. The only bet. 

Sliding into the seat, she glanced warily at the window before taking a look at her hands. The blood had already dried, but the small glass shards were still stuck inside. Elena sighed to herself, trying to remove them with her bare hands. 

Her big fingers struggled to grasp the tiny glass, only managing to push the shards deeper in. When she realized she was getting nowhere, Elena sighed and dropped her hand. Why did her fingers have to be so fat? 

She huffed on a strand of hair that had fallen. She crossed her arms, careful not to damage her hand even more. Leaning back, Elena took a look around the bus. With a frown, she realized she was the only passenger. On any other occasion, she wouldn’t have thought much about it, but with previous events, she knew that this couldn’t be a coincidence. Elena gulped. 

Standing, she grabbed onto a chair. When she was sure she had her balance, she began moving slowly towards the front of the bus. And not a moment too soon. 

Elena spun on her heels when a loud crash caused the bus to swerve. She landed on her bottom, and more glass embedded themselves in her skin. Hissing at the fresh wave of blood, she crawled backwards. 

Her eyes quickly found the broken window at the seat she had been sitting at. Her bag had been tossed to the side, and a figure cloaked in all black stared back at her. Elena’s breath hitched. She scrambled up onto her feet, spinning around to take a look at the driver. Why haven’t they done anything? 

Elena froze. 

How did she not notice that the bus driver was Lieselotte herself? God, she was so stupid. 

Her face paled when Lieselotte did a little wave, winking. Elena wanted to throw up. Fumbling with her jacket, she found her phone. Before she could open it, the figure in black tackled her. 

Elena raised her hands, throwing a punch of her own. Compared to when she had been first attacked, she was much more prepared. She supposed that training with Clint and Natasha had been useful, after all. 

Landing a blow, Elena scrambled back. Never had she imagined she’d be grateful for the fingerprint lock. She quickly swiped to Christine’s messages, but the phone was knocked out of her hand before she could do anything. The sound that it made when it landed was not promising. 

Yelling, Elena threw herself at her attacker. They struggled for a bit, their rhythm never quite lining up. It was all a mess, and more than once, Elena thought it was all over. Building up for one last push, she leaped for her phone. The cracked screen made her cringe, and Elena didn’t know if she had sent anything before everything went black.


	22. Yellow Carnation

Elena wasn’t the slightest surprised when she awoke to a room of white. Too many times had she seen black followed by blinding white. It was normal now. She grimaced when she moved, a sharp point digging into her wrists. Handcuffs locked her hands together, and her feet were bound together with rope. Clicking her tongue, she sighed. She supposed that it was reasonable of Lieselotte to limit her movement. She had tried running, after all. Plus, she could now fight. 

Looking down at herself, Elena frowned. Her jacket was gone, leaving her arms bare and more vulnerable. She peered down at her hands, wincing without her glasses. She really needed to get contact lenses. 

The glass was mostly gone, which surprised her, but Elena could tell that her hands weren’t properly treated. It was more she expected from Lieselotte though. Inclining her head, she frowned. Maybe Lieselotte did have a heart. Or maybe she just needed her hands to be in working condition. Probably the latter. 

It didn’t take long for someone to notice she was awake, and Lieselotte was quickly called over. When Elena looked up, the first thing that caught her eye was the blinding pink lipstick. Choking on nothing, she cleared her throat in an attempt to cover her cough. The color hurt her eyes, and she much preferred the white. 

Gulping as she met Lieselotte’s pale eyes, she tried to stand to no avail. Elena leaned against the wall in an awkward half crouch half sitting position. They stared at each other, taking in the other’s appearance and stature, sizing each other up in case anything happened. 

Elena lifted her chin up in defiance. Her eyes flashed when Lieselotte gave her a pointed look. It went on for some time, the glares and gesturing, but eventually, the silence was broken. And Elena was not proud that it was her who did it. 

“Lieselotte,” she said. 

“Elena.” 

Elena clenched her jaw, biting down on her lip. Blood almost immediately came out, and she realized that she had been drawing blood more often than not. Her immune system must’ve hated her. 

“I’m sorry, dear, do you prefer Heiyue?” 

Stiffening, Elena’s mouth parted. She shivered but not from the cold. “Who gave you that name?” 

“Darling, I know everything there is to know about you.” 

Elena didn’t doubt the fact for a second. She swallowed hard and changed the subject. There was no use to badgering something that she couldn’t change. If anything, she just didn’t want to talk about her name. She’d done enough of that with Steve. 

The thought of him sent chills down her spine. The Avengers must have reached Roanoke by now. They were probably searching for her. 

Elena frowned. “What day is it?” 

Lieselotte only smirked. “Happy birthday.” 

Snapping her head around, Elena drew her eyebrows together. “Birthday?” 

“November third, dear. One year older. Isn’t that exciting?” 

Elena blinked. She’d forgotten about her birthday. Besides, she hadn’t celebrated it in a long time without Christine to pester her. Elena wasn’t quite sure how old she even was. She wasn’t sure if she even cared. 

“November third?” she echoed. “You mean I’ve been out for a whole day? Where even are we?” 

Lieselotte rolled her eyes. “Not Virginia or New York, that’s for sure.” 

Shifting in her position, Elena winced. She struggled against the handcuffs, purple bruises forming all around. 

“I’m going to assume we’re in some sort of lab,” she said between her grunts, “and that you want me to work on something.” 

“Smart girl.” Lieselotte chuckled. “It’s nothing big, so don’t go giving your excuses. Besides, you’ve had your practice. Your serum is better than mine.” 

Elena straightened. Her eyes widened. She had missed a day, which meant that she was to inject the serum again today. Her eyes flickered to Lieselotte, who grinned at her panic. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your doses whenever you earn them.” 

That took a moment to sink in. Her words struck her like a fist. Elena blinked. “You’re blackmailing me?” she choked. “With that?” 

Lieselotte rolled her eyes. “I think we had this conversation once,” she sighed. “And I believe you agreed to work for it.” 

Elena looked away. Her thoughts raced through her head, a building hurricane. She had walked right into Lieselotte’s trap. She was cornered like deer at a hunter’s mercy. Not for the first time she wondered how she’d gotten herself in this mess. 

“I’ll do it,” she slowly said, sulking when Lieselotte brightened. 

“Great!” she exclaimed, rubbing her hands together. “We’ll give you the serum on Fridays, so you can have the weekend off, and—” 

“ _ What?”  _ Elena jumped up, somehow not toppling over. Guttural noises were emitted from her throat, some that she wasn’t sure if it was even human. “What do you mean on the weekends?” 

“Sometimes, I wonder if you even know who I am.” Lieselotte snorted. “Your vision will be returned to you every weekend. That’s normal nine-to-five working hours, right?” 

“I didn’t agree to that,” Elena stammered. She hopped forward, trying to catch her balance with her bound hands. She looked into Lieselotte’s eyes. 

“You agreed to work for the serum,” Lieselotte said. “You didn’t say how often the serum was to be administered. I’m still honoring my word.” 

“I can’t even see my hands when the cells are there!” Elena retorted. 

Lieselotte glanced at one of the guards that stood outside the door in exasperation. “You want to knock some sense into our guest?” she said. “She’s being awfully ignorant today.” 

The guard didn’t move, and Lieselotte tsked. “Hm, too bad,” she muttered as she turned back to face Elena. Reaching into her pocket, she fingered Elena’s glasses and tossed them towards her. “Has it ever occurred to you that I want you to be able to see cells?” she asked before turning. “Your dinner will be here soon. Your shift starts tomorrow. Ends at five. This’ll all be a normal job. You’ll see.” 

Shutting the door behind her, Elena glared at its whiteness. The click that sounded told her that it had been locked. That was to be expected though. Scooting towards her glasses, Elena struggled to get it onto her head. The handcuffs would cut into her skin everytime she moved, sending a sharp shock. She wondered if she would even be able to eat her dinner. 

Thankfully, both her hands and feet had been loosened when dinner came. To her surprise, Lieselotte even permitted her to have her freedom even after she finished eating. If anything, Elena thought that she was being kind for once, but the thought sent laughter straight through her. 

She was thinking of the very person who had put her in this predicament. Who had blackmailed her. She was thinking of the person who had caused her to be cursed with the cells in the first place. How could she be kind? 

Elena almost laughed herself to sleep, and tears even formed in her eyes. She shook her head as she tried to suppress herself, knowing fully well that she wouldn’t be laughing the next day when the cells returned. When she was truly at Lieselotte’s mercy.


	23. Rhododendron

The cells burned.

It was like reliving a nightmare, but Elena didn’t want Lieselotte to know that. She inhaled a breath, composing herself. Lieselotte probably knew though. She had to in order to get her to cooperate. She was always several steps ahead, and Elena realized that the Hydra agent probably knew of her plans to run before she did herself. 

Even now, Lieselotte watched her. Elena could feel her icebound eyes on her back like a vulture. Waiting. Waiting for her to screw up so she could swoop in. Her talon-like hands orchestrated her actions like a puppet master. Elena clenched her jaw, her fists too. She wanted a lot of things, but she particularly wanted to punch Lieselotte. Maybe give her a black eye so they didn’t look so lifeless. 

“Problem?” Lieselotte’s voice broke through her thoughts. 

Elena let her hands relax. She drew in a careful, slow breath, exhaling with as much composure she could muster. It took all of her control to not turn around with a glare. Instead, she opened her mouth coolly. 

“Not at all,” she said. 

Except she had problems with everything. 

Looking back at the matter at hand, Elena looked down at the table. A beaker sat in front of her, filled to the top with a liquid of silver. Something lived in it. Elena could see the cells that twirled like ballerinas. She didn’t know what it was. The DNA patterns were her. It wasn’t human though, nor was it Asgardian. 

Elena supposed it could have been an animal, but she’d rather think it wasn’t. Shuddering, Elena took a pipette and pulled some of the liquid out. She wasn’t exactly sure of what she was working towards, but Lieselotte had made it clear that she was to perfect whatever this liquid was. 

“Tell me again, what exactly am I perfecting?” she said, squeezing the liquid out onto a slide. 

Elena could imagine Liselotte’s eye roll, but she answered. “I need a way to quickly harden something,” she said, her voice sharp and with an edge. “Something that would make, let’s say a liquid, harden into solid, so it’s easier to carry.” 

Tilting her head to the side, Elena gestured Lieselotte to continue. She placed the slide onto the microscope, fastening the stage clips. Peering into the eyepiece, she began adjusting the settings. It was a disappointment how slow it took for her to get everything crystal clear. 

Blinking, Elena stared at her. Something didn’t add up. “You want this serum to be able to turn something into a solid?” 

“That’s right.” 

“Why not just freeze it?” Elena said. “Don’t you have a freeze ray or something? That has to be a classic weapon that you use, right?” 

Lieselotte glared daggers at her, and Elena sighed. She spun on her heels, turning back to the table. She looked into the microscope and went back to work. 

Something about the cells scared her. It wasn’t hatred. Her fingertips tingled as she moved the slide around. There was something sinister about the liquid serum. Something wrong with the explanation she had received. 

Both liquid and gas could be frozen solid, so why did Lieselotte need a special serum? 

Adjusting her safety goggles, Elena frowned. She removed the slide, placing it in a sink before retrieving a new one. She repeated the same process as before, but this time, she added a drop of water. It was dyed red so that she could tell the difference between it and the silver. 

She looked into the microscope and winced. Freezing happened at the atomic level, so she couldn’t exactly see what was happening. However, the repercussions were just as useful to see. The membranes of the cells that were in the water ruptured, tearing apart. The cytoplasm and organelles gushed out. Elena stepped back. The cells were dying. They were freezing to death. 

Clicking her tongue, Elena sighed. She could see why Lieselotte was so frustrated. Or at least, she could make a guess. Elena assumed that it had been her who had started the serum and that she was only finishing it because Lieselotte couldn’t. The water was freezing, but it wasn’t freezing fast enough. That was why the cells were dying out. 

Elena paused in her thinking. Maybe that was why freeze rays were out of the question, but she doubted it was the case. 

Elena spent the rest of the day adding and removing things from the liquid, continuously testing. There was something off about the serum just like something was off about the cells and Lieselotte’s answer. 

None of the usual things that Elena knew of to speed up freezing worked. And by the time she was back in her white room, she was thinking more of the liquid than of escape. When Elena realized the fact, she coughed. Her eyes widened so much so that her eyelids began to hurt. 

It had only been one day, and she was already losing herself to Lieselotte. It would be a normal job, she had said, and Elena found it to be true. Well, it was as true as it could be with blackmail in the question. 

The food was good too. She got a substantial breakfast earlier that morning, and the dinner was good for the two days she had been awake. It was strange how Lieselotte managed to be a good whilst having her under blackmail. 

Lying on her back, Elena blinked when one of the guards shut off the lights. She closed her eyes, but sleep didn’t come. If this was Hydra, she could potentially get used to it like she originally planned. 

But what would Steve think of that? What would Tony think? Bruce? Natasha? Clint? She even wondered about Thor’s reaction. None of it was good, but she could handle it if they ever found out. At least, she hoped she did. 

The question that haunted her the most was Christine. What would she do? 

Elena turned onto her side, limiting the amount of skin that touched the cold floor. She rubbed her wrist. She thought long and hard, but she couldn’t think of anything that Christine might have done if she went with Hydra. 

Sighing, she opened her eyes and stared at the wall. Was she really willing to test a friendship she had just recently got back? 

She thought back to their last interaction. 

_ I’ll see you at lunch.  _

Elena wrapped her arms around her body. She couldn’t risk lunch. The thought of being able to hang out again with all of her former friends was too precious of a thing to gamble away. Elena let out a breath. 

Perhaps, she could just finish making the serum. Lieselotte might let her go. Other than her words, she did treat her well so maybe there was a chance. After all, there was only so much she could do in a lab. 


	24. Lobelia

The white lab coat was snug around Elena’s shoulders. After several days of intense working, it had moulded to her body shape. She had gotten so used to wearing it that taking it off felt strange. Everything made her jump, even the wind. It was like she was naked, vulnerable. And so she just stopped taking it off. It was a part of her now. 

Fiddling with a microscope, she sighed. Elena had long since stopped hoping that Lieselotte would let her go. She always managed to find new work for her to do. Some days, she even resulted in having Elena scrub the already clean floors. She was away more often though, and that meant there was a better chance of escape. Whether it was trust or duty, Elena didn’t care. She was going to take the chance and run with it. 

Everyday, she managed to map out more of the lab. Her plan grew, and her routine had been the same for two weeks. Until it wasn’t. It was a Friday, and Elena was owed her serum. But when the clock hit five, she was instead brought to a viewing room. 

Lieselotte waited for her, hair pinned in a tight bun. Her lipstick was red today, but it was no less bright than the pink. Elena winced. She didn’t think she would ever be used to it. 

“Is there a reason I’m here and not in my room?” Elena asked, rubbing her wrist. 

Lieselotte turned to look at her, hands clasped behind her back. She smiled. “You’re working overtime tonight,” she said. “Come watch.” 

Elena stepped forward, eyeing her warily. She looked out of the one-way glass at the spacious room with the high ceiling and white decor. It was like any other testing room if not for the machinery that sat in a corner. A scientist with a clipboard stood behind it, yelling instructions to the frightened rookies. 

Elena felt a pang in her chest at the running orderlies. Once upon a time, she had been one of them. And with her current situation, anyone could tell that it didn’t work out for her. Elena gulped, wondering how many of them didn’t have a single clue what was happening. She wondered if any of them would turn out like her. 

The thought of it made her sick, but Elena couldn’t stop watching them. A war scene played out in her brown eyes, a memory resurfacing. She couldn’t stop it even if she tried. 

_ “Dr. Fan, you’re in charge of the pressure readings. Keep it steady.”  _

_ “Yes, ma’am!” Elena nodded. She tucked a pencil behind her ear, bounding over to the computers. A wide grin was on her face, childish amazement apparent in her eyes. Her face was rounder then, her hair longer. It was her first experiment as she spent most of her time with patients, but she had always wanted a taste at the behind the scenes of finding a cure to something.  _

_ Satisfied with the pressure levels, Elena looked up to watch. The shouting had mostly stopped as everyone stood at their positions, ready to take action if needed. Her heart pounded harder than it had ever before, and butterflies danced in her stomach. Elena clawed at her arms in anticipation. She had even begun to tap her foot in a catchy rhythm.  _

_ “Okay, in three everybody!” Dr. Hallman called out. “One… Two… “  _

_ Elena bit down on her tongue to keep her from squealing. It didn’t help with the laughter that escaped her throat, but no one seemed to notice.  _

_ “Three!”  _

_ Dr. Hallman pulled a switch, and nothing happened. Elena didn’t even have time to process the nothingness before the screams came. From there on, it was chaos.  _

_ She still had the grin on her face when she stumbled back as someone ran past. Her eyes widened, etched with confusion. This wasn’t normal, right?  _

_ Falling onto the tiled floor, Elena gasped. She flung her head around, searching for the person who had shoved her to the side. That definitely wasn’t normal. Scrambling onto her feet, she opened her mouth, but her questions were drowned out with the other voices.  _

_ Where was Dr. Hallman?  _

_ “Stand firm, everybody! We must finish this!”  _

_ There. That was it. Her voice. Elena nodded with all the determination she could muster. She stood up as tall as she could, pushing against the crowd. She clenched her fists.  _

_ “Dr. Hallman?” she yelled. Louder this time. “What should I do?”  _

_ Her dark eyes met Dr. Hallman’s light ones. The older doctor smiled, and more butterflies migrated into Elena’s stomach. She smiled back. She was doing something right if she had earned the approval of a superior.  _

_ “What’s your name, darling?”  _

_ “Fan, ma’am. Elena Fan.”  _

_ “Why don’t you go make sure the machinery is running properly?” she said.  _

_ “Yes, ma’am.”  _

_ Elena was like a salmon swimming against a waterfall of people. When she reached the main machine, she found it running normally. She grinned.  _

_ “Nothing to worry about, Doctor!” she exclaimed, turning. “Everything is—”  _

_ The ground started to rumble, and Elena’s breath hitched. She widened her stance, looking down at the ground. Fear crawled into her mind, taking over everything she knew.  _

_ “Doctor?” she whispered.  _

_ Her eyes whipped up for Dr. Hallman’s advice, but she was only met with a bright light. Then, an explosion, but she could still see the light. It was white.  _

Elena staggered back, her hands reaching up to cover her eyes. It didn’t help the white light that filtered through her fingers though. She grimaced, shutting her eyes. 

“What the—” she muttered, opening her eyes when it was gone. She found Lieselotte watching her with amusement, and Elena shook her head. Her head hurt. 

When she finally collected herself, Elena stepped forward to look out the window. All traces of her memory faded at the sight. The scientist and doctors… They—Elena whisked around. She took a step towards Lieselotte. 

“What is this?” she whispered. 

A split second of surprise flashed across her face. Lieselotte was not expecting the fire behind her words. The look disappeared as soon as it came, replaced with false innocence. “They’re frozen, darling,” she said. 

“Frozen?” Elena echoed. She glanced at the people inside. There must have been at least twenty, and they were all gray. She could see the cracks on their skin, threatening to split their bodies entirely. “They aren’t frozen,” she scoffed. “They’re stone! You killed them all!” 

Lieselotte followed her gaze, her lips a thin line. She hummed. “A minor inconvenience. We’re going to have to limit the serum in each—” 

“We?” Elena snapped. “I’m not going to kill people! You forget. I’m a  _ doctor.”  _

“You were the one who perfected the serum! It works. You should be proud of yourself!” 

Elena didn’t have anything to say to that. Her mouth opened, closed. Jaw clenched, she turned away. She looked out at the machine in the corner. A weapon. Elena couldn’t believe she didn’t see the unmistakable silhouette of a gun propped up on it. She hissed in annoyance. 

No wonder the serum was so weird to work with. The normal things that would speed up freezing didn’t work because Lieselotte had done something so that ice wasn’t the end product but stone. She clenched her fists. Why didn’t she see it before? 

Was she really that blind? 

“I hate you,” she whispered slowly. 

“Hate is a strong—” 

Elena didn’t let her finish. “I hate you.” 

Then, she turned and ran. 


	25. Petunia

Bursting out the doors, Elena didn’t stop running until she had crossed at least three blocks. Her shoes slapped onto the concrete sidewalk, bouncing herself forward. Her white coat flew after her like a superhero cape in the wind, and cells flashed before her eyes like pesky mosquitoes. 

In her hand, Elena gripped a syringe. She had lifted it on the way out, having known where Lieselotte kept her serum on the ready for Fridays. If she’d had more time like she had planned, Elena would have scoured the building for her backpack. That plan was long abandoned though as she didn’t think she could handle being in there any longer. 

Ducking behind a corner, Elena crouched down to catch her breath. She placed a hand over her heart, the thumping unsteady and hard. She took a deep breath, letting her eyes close for a few seconds. She rolled the syringe in her hand, its familiar weight and shape calming her. When she finally opened her eyes, Elena gulped and braced for the coming pain of the serum. 

The pain never ceased in catching her off guard. It was like coloring a picture that was better off black and white. When you’re deciding whether you want to color it or not, you always imagine it perfect, never doubting your own skill. But once you start and there is no turning back, you regret every life decision you’ve ever made to get you to that point. 

Elena gritted her teeth so much so that she thought they might fall off. She scrunched up her face, fists clenched. She lifted her head to face the sun as if that’d help. Coughing, Elena gasped, dropping the empty syringe onto the ground. She leaned back against the building, her sweat making a puddle. Whenever she got a chance, she would have to go back and add some pain killers into the serum. She didn’t think she could handle another outburst. 

She didn’t move from her spot for a while, not even when her eyes fully adjusted. Her legs refused to hold up her weight, which was a problem since she was still fairly close to whatever building Lieselotte had taken over. Elena sighed, looking down at herself. Her face was soaked with sweat, and the puddle around her just kept growing. To onlookers, it must have looked like she had peed herself. 

Elena might have never moved if not for the shadow that fell over her. She looked up in surprise, stiffening. At first, she thought it was Lieselotte. With closer inspection, she found that it was a man. She squirmed when he crouched down to look her in the eye. 

“Are you alright?” he quietly asked. 

Blinking, she stared at him. His eyes were blue, and her thoughts went to Lieselotte. She gulped. Unlike hers though, they were warm, laced with concern. Elena looked away. Her voice didn’t seem to want to work, so she just raised her shoulders in a shrug. 

The man didn’t seem satisfied. He held out a tissue, and Elena inclined her head in confusion. He tried to smile, nodding at her. “You’re crying,” he said. 

Oh.  _ Oh.  _

Elena looked down at the puddle around her, suddenly realizing that it wasn’t just her sweat. They were her tears. Wiping her eyes with the tissue, she cleared her throat. 

“Who are you?” she asked. 

The man stood, pulling Elena up with him. He grinned. “My name’s Will,” he said. “Nice to meet you.” 

“I’m Elena,” she said, still wary. “What do you want with me?” 

That certainly caught him off guard. He was silent for some time, and Elena hated herself even more when he answered. Confusion was his voice, and she could have sworn that there was even a trace of hurt. She gritted her teeth. Obviously, this man had nothing to do with Lieselotte. 

“You just looked a little lost?” he said, taking a step back to give her more space. “Do you want me to go?” 

“Yes. No. I don’t know,” Elena sighed. “Don’t you have better things to do than helping me?” 

“I think the best thing someone can do is to help,” Will said, stuffing his hands into his pockets, “so no. There is nothing else I’d rather be doing.” 

Elena couldn’t help the question that burst out of her. “Why?” she asked. “You have no reason.” 

Will tilted his head to the side, humming to himself. “I suppose I’m just selfish,” he said. “It just feels good to know that someone’s day is better because of you, you know?” 

Elena pursed her lip. “I suppose so,” she said, still unconvinced. No one in the world was  _ that  _ nice. There was always some ulterior motive. With Lieselotte, it was turning people into stone. With the Avengers, it was to keep her out of trouble. Elena didn’t doubt that Will wanted something. 

“So do you have any place to go?” Will asked. “I can walk you. It’s getting dark.” 

Elena rubbed her wrist, looking away. She didn’t answer. How could she? 

No one would believe that there was some evil psychopath that was turning people to stone. It was absurd. She bit down on her lip, and she looked around. 

Buildings towered over her, their glass windows reflecting the light of the setting sun. There was no honking, but traffic was definitely a thing. Elena blinked at the unfamiliar territory. Everything was so tall and professional looking. She suddenly felt like a speck of dust. 

New York may have had taller skyscrapers, but it was a different feeling here. Colder. There weren't as many people on the sidewalks, and there were no screens that projected blinding colors. People may have called it peaceful, but Elena found that it was quite the opposite. It was worse that she had no idea where she was. 

“Where are we?” She turned back to Will. “What city is this?” 

“I’ll take that as a no,” Will muttered, glancing out at the city before facing Elena. “Welcome to Houston, Texas,” he said. “We’re at the medical center right now. It’s the largest in the world.” 

Texas. That was a long way from Virginia. Scratching the back of her head, she tried to come up with a plan. Here she was with no money, no food, no water, and absolutely nowhere to go. 

Will continued to talk. “Do you want to come back to my apartment?” he asked. “I have a spare room that used to be my sister’s, but she moved out a few months ago.” 

Elena didn’t really want to go home with a stranger. Who knew what Will was planning? She didn’t see any other choice though. That was, unless she wanted to sleep on the streets. 

She sighed. “Okay.”


	26. Mayflower

Will’s apartment was small and run down, and it didn’t do well in calming Elena’s nerves. It was the perfect place to be murdered, fitting perfectly inside a horror movie. The walls were cracking, and any sort of movement caused the roof to crumble. The floorboards creaked beneath her feet, and it wouldn’t have taken much to unhinge the rickety doors. 

Hanging out the door, Elena watched Will walk in as if nothing was wrong. He discarded his coat and fell back onto the patched up sofa. He yawned as he rubbed at his eyes. “You can have the room over there,” he said, pointing at what seemed like the only nicely decorated room. “As I said, it used to be my sister’s, but she—” 

Will turned to look at her, pausing. Only then did he realize that Elena hadn’t come inside. Sitting up, he blinked. “Why are you still out there?” he said, waving her inside. “Come in! Don’t be shy!” 

Elena gulped and stepped inside. She didn’t bother to close the door in case she needed a mistake, but Will stood to close it himself. Standing awkwardly, Elena rubbed her wrist. Crashing at a stranger’s place wasn’t something that she’d recommend. Especially if the stranger lived in such a dejected place. 

Upon closer inspection, Elena could see that the apartment was cared for with the utmost effort. Dust was seldom despite how battered everything was, and no object was broken. It was just the apartment, failing with old age. 

“If you need to shower, the bathroom is open,” Will said, looking at her. “My sister left some clothes in her closet. They should fit you.” 

The thought of a shower sent Elena moving. She hadn’t done so ever since she left Avengers Tower, and it was starting to get to her. Not only did she feel disgusting, she knew she was since spots of dirt had started forming on her arms and neck. 

She nodded. “Thank you.” 

He smiled in response, and Elena entered into the room she had been given. There wasn’t anything special in the closet, but then again, she wasn’t looking for anything that looked good. Picking out a pair of black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt, she ducked into the bathroom and locked the doors. 

She winced when she caught wind of herself in the mirror. She looked like complete crap. So much so that she wondered why Will had bothered initiating a conversation. She looked like a delinquent, and that wasn’t too far off from who she actually was. 

Her hair had puffed up, becoming bushy with the lack of bathing, and the bags under her eyes seemed to way down her whole body. It looked almost like eyeliner. And then there was the whole situation with her skin. In short, Elena needed a shower badly. 

The warm water dribbled onto her face like a mother’s love. She sighed as she began scrubbing herself free of the grime and soot. It was satisfying to watch the specks of brown wash away from her body. It felt like cleansing herself from all the harm she had done the past few weeks. 

Elena choked on her breath, using her hand to prop herself up against the wall. Her mood dimmed significantly at the thought of all the doctors and scientists that had been turned to stone. Squeezing her eyes shut, Elena tried steadying her breathing in vain. She let out a cry, shivering underneath the water. Her eyes flashed. 

If she were to guess, no one in the experiment was aware of what was to happen. She bet that they were all like her, there in hopes of doing something good. And she had ruined that like how Lieselotte ruined her. And to think that she thought the Hydra agent had a nice side! 

Elena bit on the insides of her cheek, turning off the water. She quickly dressed, checking the mirror for tears before presenting herself. 

Will was sitting on the sofa, playing with a length of string. His feet were on the coffee table, where he had set up a board. He perked up when she appeared, and he grinned. “Do you want to play a game?” he asked, jumping up. “It’s been so long since I’ve had—”

“No.” 

“Oh,” Will sighed. He plopped back down, tossing the string he had been messing with to the side. Leaning forward, he began picking up game pieces that he had already set up.

Elena watched him for a moment before letting out a breath. She did feel a little bad in denying him so quickly. Running a hand through her hair, she shook her head. “No, wait,” she started. “I’ll play.” 

Will looked up in surprise as she dragged over a chair. “Really?” 

“Yeah,” she said. “Didn’t want you to set up a game for nothing.” 

Will smiled at her, beaming. “Have you ever played before?” he asked. 

Elena looked down at the game board. It read The Game of Life. Shaking her head, she reached for the instructions. “No,” she said. “I don’t play very many games.” 

“What?” Will looked horrified. “But games are so fun!” 

She shrugged. “So how do you play?” 

“Basically, you’re living a life inside a board game. You start by choosing whether you want to go to college or not, and whoever with the most money by retirement wins.” 

Elena glanced up at him. “Life isn’t about money, Will.” 

“No shit,” he snorted. “It’s a game.” 

They began playing, and Elena had to admit that it was pretty fun. She found herself laughing more and more at the stupid jokes Will would make, and by the time she passed college, her chest hurt. 

Drawing a card, Elena almost spat out the coffee that Will had given to her. She stared at her choices in horror. She was to either become a teacher or a computer designer. Neither of those appealed to her in the slightest, and their salaries were way lower than Will’s who lucked out with the lawyer card. 

“Can I draw another card?” 

“No!” Will exclaimed. “That’s cheating.” 

Sulking, Elena took the computer designer card. She spun the wheel, happy to find that she got a ten. She drew a life card, immediately slumping down at the result. Luck was not on her side that night. 

**“You buy a priceless painting. Tell everyone what it looks like. Pay bank 50k.”**

Will rubbed his hands together in excitement. “Is it one of my face?” he asked. 

“Oh, you wish,” Elena retorted, crossing her arms. 

Spinning the wheel, Will moved up his piece and drew a card. 

**“You’re nice for a price! Choose another player to be your boss and tell them a joke. Collect 50k from bank.”**

Will burst out laughing, shaking as he gathered his money. Elena stared at the card in disbelief. 

“What?” she gasped. “That’s not fair! There’s no such thing!” 

“Hey, Elena.” 

Elena met his eyes. “What?” she asked sharply, none too happy about her situation. She tapped her fingers on the table, impatient for her next turn. 

“What happened to the wooden car with the wooden wheels and engine?” 

Rolling her eyes, Elena sighed. “I don’t know. It burned?” 

“It  _ wooden  _ go!” Will began cackling at his own joke, clutching his stomach as he toppled to the side. “Get it? Wooden? Wouldn’t?” 

Elena groaned. “You’re horrible.” 

“I thank you for the compliment.” 

“It wasn’t a compliment, Will.” Elena gave him a pointed look. “It was an insult.” 

“Whatever.” 

On her next turn, Elena landed on a life event. Will bounced up and down in his seat, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. He looked sheepishly at the dirt that had fallen on top of Elena’s head. She had only just showered, after all. 

“Dun dun dun dunnn,” he hummed, raising his arms as if he was conducting an orchestra. “Happy wedding day! Who’s the lucky soul?” 

Will dumped out a bag of little people that were colored blue and pink. “Are they male or female? Oh, what’s their name?” 

“Do I have to get married?” Elena sighed, leaning back. 

“Of course!” He looked up at her. “It’s in the rules!” 

“I don’t get a choice?” She huffed in annoyance. “Your game isn’t that realistic.” 

“Just admit that you love it.” 

Elena picked out a blue person. “I’d be lying, then,” she snorted. “I’m naming him Bob.” 

“Do I get to be best man?” 

“Sure.” 

Will smiled, standing. He raised his arms in a dramatic pose, clearing his throat. “Hello everybody! I’m Will. It’s time for me to do my best man speech that I am coming out on the spot. I have known Bob for a few seconds now and—” 

“Will?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Get your butt back into that seat.” 

The game continued well into the night. Will ended up winning with his absurd luck, but Elena wasn’t the slightest angry about it. She had smiled and laughed more times during the last hour than the past four years. It was a refreshing change. 

She even forgot about Lieselotte for the brief period of time. As short as it was, Elena wished it would last forever. Once they had finished cleaning up the game, she sighed, mouth dropping back into a frown. She nodded at Will. 

“It’s late,” she said. “We should get some rest.” 

“Good idea,” he agreed, taking the coffee mugs. “Go ahead. I’ll do the dishes.” 

Walking to her room, Elena glanced back at Will before shutting the door. “Goodnight, Will,” she softly said. “Thanks for this.” 

“Don’t thank me,” he laughed. “I’m being selfish, remember? Goodnight!” 

It was a good night indeed. 


	27. Blue Tulip

Sleep in Will’s apartment was heaven compared to the cold floor in Lieselotte’s lab. It wasn’t the same feeling of being weightless like it was at Avengers Tower. Instead, it was like being hugged by every one of her friends. She felt secure in the bed’s embrace, and she didn’t want to ever get up. 

Sinking deeper into the bed, Elena yawned and shielded her eyes from the sun rays that peeked in between the blinds. She flipped onto her side, groaning. Getting up would mean figuring out what to do with everything, and she didn’t want to deal with any of it. She just wanted her problems to disappear and never return. Blinking her eyes open, Elena shook her head against her pillow before sitting up. She pulled back the covers and swung her legs to the floor. 

Elena grimaced at the cold floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. She shivered, pulling on her white lab coat. Bracing herself this time, Elena stood. She scrunched up her face, hopping on one foot as she crossed the room to her shoes. She had never felt so grateful for socks. 

Will must have still been asleep based on the light snores that came from the room next door. Elena didn’t mind. It had been one night, and he had done so much for her. They didn’t even know each other too well, but Elena didn’t think she would feel safer with anyone else. The Avengers didn’t offer such hospitality though that may have just been her being stubborn. Instead, Elena took the time to look around the apartment. She didn’t want to problem solve just yet. 

Will’s sister’s was small and cozy. The bed was soft with a massive, colorful quilt and the fluffiest pillows Elena had ever seen. Several paintings hung on the walls, and when she looked closer, Elena found that they were all homemade. One particular painting caught her eye. It was a lone daisy in a wide grassland, and in the background, a lawnmower casually trimmed the field while the trampling feet of playing children danced. In the midst of it all, the daisy managed to survive and withstand anything that was tossed in its path. 

Elena didn’t know why it resonated in her so much, but it had strummed at her heartstrings the way Thor loved his Pop-Tarts. She made a note to herself to ask Will about it later. 

The only thing that struck Elena odd was the lack of photographs. Amongst all the knick knacks that decorated the bookshelves and desk, there was no picture of Will’s family. When she wandered off into the main room, she was met with the same result. With what little she knew of Will, she would’ve pegged him as the type who loved his family. 

The way he spoke of his sister was proof of that. His voice would soften whenever he would mention her, and the far-off look in his eyes spoke plenty. Elena tilted her head to the side. She knew it was rude to probe, but she couldn’t help to wonder if something had happened between them. 

Based on the apartment, Elena assumed that Will was of the lower-class. He was poor, and it didn’t make sense that a family member would just move out. Where would they have gotten the money to, and if they really had the money, why did Will stay? 

Elena scratched the back of her head. She laughed quietly at herself. She hadn’t wanted to analyze her own problems and so she had wandered off to someone else's. It wasn’t any of her business, and she sighed. Pushing her questions away, she turned to her own. 

But that was easier said than done. Whenever someone said not to think of a certain color, the only thing in your head would have been the color. It was the same with Will’s family. Elena couldn’t get it out of her head, and when Will finally emerged from his room, she just had to mention it. 

“You’re up early,” Will yawned as he shut the door to his room before him. His bedhead looked a lot like the state of Elena’s hair the night before, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. He scratched his neck and nodded to her. 

“Just a habit,” Elena replied, looking up from where she had been looking at another painting. 

Will joined her, rubbing his eyes. Shaking his head, he cursed under his breath as Elena chuckled. He looked at the painting. “My sister painted that,” he said. “She’s pretty talented.” 

Elena nodded. She had thought as much. “It’s very beautiful,” she agreed. “There was one in her room. The one with the daisy?” 

Will’s eyes lit up in recognition. He smiled widely, nodding. “Yeah,” he softly laughed. “That one was her favorite.” 

“Really? Is there some special meaning behind it?” 

“Probably,” he said, stretching. Walking towards the coffee pot, he continued. “That painting is the only painting I don’t know the answer to. She’s told me all about the others.” 

Scooping out some coffee beans, Will nodded at the one she had been looking at. It was a depiction of a fiery phoenix. “That one’s about moving on from Mom’s death.” 

Elena blinked, turning back to the phoenix painting. She looked back and forth between it and Will. She had not expected that. She gulped. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” he sighed, wandering back. He leaned against the sofa. “I can’t miss her if I don’t remember her. I honestly don’t think Swish is over her no matter what she says. I don’t think she would’ve painted it if she was.” 

“Swish?” 

Will blushed. “Schwester,” he said. “It’s German for sister. When we were children, I couldn’t pronounce it properly and the name stuck.” 

Snorting, Elena covered her mouth. “Why’d she move out?” she asked. “You two sound close.” 

“I’m glad she left,” Will sighed as Elena took a seat. “We can’t live together for our whole lives. It’s time she started to live her own life. She deserves to find her happiness.” 

Elena gulped, having a feeling that she had just trod on sensitive territory. She bit on her tongue, silently cursing herself out. 

“Dad isn’t really the best father. He was always too invested in work, and I don’t remember him coming home in time for dinner ever. It was always just Swish and me.” 

“Is that why there aren’t any photographs around?” Elena couldn’t help but ask. Everything was starting to piece together. 

“Yeah.” Will nodded, straightening when the beep of the coffee pot sounded. “She doesn’t like remembering. I don’t blame her though. It must have been hard to take care of someone like me at such a young age.” 

Will started laughing as he pulled out two mugs from the cabinet. “It’s still hard to take care of me. That’s probably why she moved out. Because she’s so tired of my whining and games.” 

Elena tried to smile at that. She gratefully took her coffee. “I’ll play as many games as you want,” she trailed off, frowning. 

“You can stay as long as you need,” Will quickly jumped in, sensing her hesitation. “I don’t know any of your problems, but please stay. I don’t mind. Company is good.” 

“Thanks—” 

“Nuh uh,” Will broke in. He took a sip of his coffee. “I’m being selfish.” 

Blinking, Elena just stared. “Right… “ 

The silence drew out for a moment, but for once, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Elena settled down on the couch, nursing her mug with delicacy. She looked up when Will spoke. 

“What about you?” he asked. “Any siblings?” 

“No, I’m an only child.” 

“Are your parents nice?” 

Elena went quiet. Were they? She honestly had no idea. Her resentment towards them for naming her Heiyue had always been too strong for any good. She supposed she hadn’t given them a good chance to prove their kindness. It was just a name too. 

Frowning, she gulped. But it was a horrible name and she hated it. 

“Sorry,” Will muttered. 

“Huh?” 

“Nothing. Your face just went through so many emotions I thought I might’ve broke you.” 

Elena laughed so hard she had to set down her coffee mug. She grabbed a pillow, pressing it against her mouth. “No, no,” she managed between her gasps. “There isn’t much of me to be broken. To answer your question, I don’t know.” 

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. “I never really gave them a chance. I’m sure they’re lovely people though.” 

They chatted for a bit longer before Will stood up, causing dust to fall up onto his head. He glanced up at the ceiling with an arched eyebrow. Touching his hair, he sighed. “I need a shower,” he said, leaving the room. 

Alone again, Elena reached for her pocket only to realize she had lost her phone. She sighed. So much for trying to solve her problems the easy way. Leaning forward, Elena bit on the insides of her cheek. 

She couldn’t take any money from Will to travel back to New York. He needed his money for himself. Walking was definitely out of the question. Elena rubbed her wrist. And who was to say Lieselotte wouldn’t find her again. She always appeared when she least expected it. 

“Wilhelm!” 

Elena glanced up at the footsteps that sounded from outside. She guessed that it was Will’s sister, but he didn’t mention anything about her visiting. Elena stood when the doorknob turned, glancing at the bathroom door. 

“Surprise!” 

The door swung open. 

And Elena met her pale eyes.


	28. Arbutus

Throughout all her years, Elena had been through hell. In China, she had been bullied and ridiculed for her name, which only led to rocky relationships. She had studied hard to escape to the United States and even then, her nose was still stuck in a book. College was not easy, and the English language was nothing compared to what she’d learned in primary school. 

She’d met Nicodemus at college, and it was with his help that led her to success. Then, graduation came, and she was given a small break before her residency began at the Metro-General Hospital. Nic had been accepted with her, and there, they met Christine and Stephen. Those were the good times, and Elena truly thought she’d found her place. 

But then, she was invited to Dr. Hallman’s experiment, and everything she had worked for disappeared with the blink of an eye. The cells came to life, and Elena was fired. Her life was shattered. 

Four years she had spent alone in a dark apartment. It was all hazy, and Elena found it hard to believe that those four years ended two months ago. She had done so much in that period of time that she never thought possible. 

She’d met the Avengers and even lived with them for some time. She had found out that Dr. Hallman was Lieselotte Whitehall, a Hydra agent who wanted something with her. She’d found a cure to her condition. She reconnected with Christine. And she managed to borrow a car, wrecking it two days later. Then, the weeks that she spent in captivity came. She worked for Lieselotte, and she helped kill innocent souls, providing a serum that turned people into stone. 

Elena had gone through all that, proving the impossible wrong. So much so that nothing ever phased her anymore. The world was so horrible she had begun to get used to it. But then, she met Will. 

He was charming, funny, and despite Elena’s initial thoughts on him, she had started considering him as a friend. He was always so kind, and nothing ever weighed him down. Not even his past. He was everything Elena ever wanted to be and so much more. 

So it was a surprise to her when Lieselotte walked through the front door with no lipstick and a real, genuine smile. Her expression mirrored Elena’s before finally settling on a hard frown. Her lips curled down both in confusion and in annoyance. 

Elena, on the other hand, was frozen solid. Her blood chilled underneath her skin, and her jaw had slackened. Her feet were planted down on the disintegrating floor, but she was not at all balanced. One small touch would have sent her down onto her knees. 

This wasn’t happening. It was all just a cruel dream. She was still asleep after playing the board game. This was just a dream. This was just a dream. This was just a—

But it wasn’t a dream. It was real. Very real. 

Lieselotte was Will’s sister. And Will was Wilhelm Whitehall. 

The name felt strange and foreign. It went against everything Elena knew. It was just wrong. So very wrong. How was it even possible? Will was so nice, and Lieselotte—Elena didn’t know what Lieselotte was. 

Elena blinked, stepping back as she brought a hand to her head. Was Lieselotte really the sister Will had so lovingly described? The artist of all the beautiful, symbolic paintings. The girl who lost her mother at a young age. 

The sister who cared for her brother when no one else would. 

It just didn’t feel possible. 

Only when Will emerged from the bathroom did it finally sink in. Elena looked between the two, and the similarity was unmistakable. They had the same hair, the same cheeks, the same eyebrows. Elena flushed. She didn’t understand. 

Was Lieselotte really the sister? 

Swallowing, she looked to the ground. 

Or was Will a liar? 

“Swish?” Will stopped in his tracks, face brightening. “You didn’t say anything about visiting!” 

“Surprise!” Lieselotte forced a laugh. She shot Elena a glare, a threat, before moving in to embrace Will, who didn’t notice the small gesture. “I just wanted to see my little brother today.” 

Elena rolled her eyes, biting down on her tongue to refrain from saying anything. Crossing her arms, she hung behind. Her thoughts raced. Was everything really a lie? 

“Elena, this is Lisa!” Will bounded over to her, dragging Lieselotte by the wrist. “She’s my sister. Maybe you’ll have better luck asking about that painting you were interested in.” He chuckled. “She might tell you instead.” 

Both Lieselotte and Elena stiffened at his words. Elena opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Lieselotte had better luck. 

“Now, now,” she said, chuckling. “You mustn’t jump to conclusions.” 

“Sorry. It’s just—” Will waved his hands enthusiastically. “I didn’t expect you to come today! Will you be staying tonight?” He gasped. “We can play Game of Life together! I taught Elena yesterday!” 

“No, no.” Elena found her voice. She cleared her throat. “I shouldn’t stay another night. I’ve already overstepped.” 

“Huh? But I’ve already—” 

“Oh, it’s no problem, dear,” Lieselotte said sweetly. “We don’t mind. I can take the sofa; it’s not really a big deal. Besides, I won’t let you walk out of here when you’ve got no place to be. It’s only polite. Right, Will?” 

“Right.” 

Elena hated Lieselotte’s honeyed voice. It was so fake and annoying, and it bothered her the same way mosquitoes did when they repeatedly buzzed past her ear. She swallowed hard. The double meaning behind them didn’t help either. 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” she said. 

“Nonsense!” Lieselotte exclaimed. “I’m headed up to San Antonio tomorrow. Maybe I can take you to the airport then? It’s pretty close to where I’m going.” 

Elena glared at her, resisting the urge to clench her fists and just go at it. She lifted her chin. “I’d rather not.” 

“Please, dear. I insist.” 

It was at that point when Will sensed the venom in their voices. He frowned, wrinkling his nose as he looked between the two of them. He inclined his head. “Did I miss something?” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lieselotte quickly said, patting him on the shoulder. 

“I do.” 

Lieselotte turned at her so quickly Elena thought that she was going to die right there and then. When she didn’t make a move, she straightened. “I know what you’re talking about,” she said, facing Will. 

“Your sister is a monster, Will,” Elena snarled. She clenched her jaw, and with each word, the poison became more potent. “She’s a Hydra agent just like your damn father, and you’re probably no better.” 

“What?” Will started, stepping back. “What are you—” 

“Don’t play stupid on me.” Elena stepped forward. “I’m not dumb. Your whole family are  _ monsters. Evil, wicked monsters that deserve to burn.  _ I don’t know what shit story you were telling me before, but I don’t care.” 

“I—” 

“I’m out.” Elena gritted her teeth together. “I’m out. Don’t you dare follow me.” 

With that, she spun on her heels and marched out the door. She didn’t care when she slammed it, causing an avalanche of dust and soot. She was done with the Whitehall family. Absolutely done. 

And yet, it didn’t feel good. 

Because she didn’t know. She didn’t know the truth. For all she knew, Will could have been telling the truth. He could have been innocent. And Lieselotte… she could have had her reasons. 

Elena gulped, and dread took over. She didn’t know what she was doing, but whatever it was, she just felt worse. If Lieselotte didn’t come and kill her, she might just do it herself. Thankfully, it wouldn’t come to that. 

Walking down the sidewalk, Elena stopped at the end of the block. She breathed in. Now what? 

She had nothing on her, and she wasn’t going to another stranger. Who knew who they were? They could have been Lieselotte’s long lost cousin. Elena frowned and rubbed her wrist. Maybe finding a small shop would be the best option. She could ask the cashier to borrow a phone. And Hydra wouldn’t be working as cashiers, right?

Elena sighed to herself. Why not? It wasn’t like she had any better option. If the shops didn’t let her, she supposed she would just have to walk until her legs gave out. That wouldn’t have been too bad, she supposed. 

Aimlessly wandering, Elena stuffed her hands into her white coat. At least, she still had it with her. It was comforting and soothing, calming her frayed nerves. It was the one thing she could rely on, which was funny considering her past tantrums about having to wear it again. Elena shook her head. She’d do anything to go back then and change the decisions she made. 

Before long, Elena found a Starbucks. She paused at the door when the rich aroma wafted up her nose, and she groaned at her lack of money. Elena sighed, shaking her head. There was no point in thinking about that now. There were far more important things. 

“Elena?” 

Now, that was a voice Elena hadn’t heard in a long time. 

She spun around, and her eyes found what she was looking for at a table next to the window. Purple shirt, gray sweats, messy hair. Elena never thought she’d be so happy to see a literal hot mess. 

“Clint!” she gasped, virtually barreling over to him. Her eyes widened. “You’re here!” 

He snorted. “ _ You’re  _ here!” he laughed. “I can’t believe I found you. Here, take this. I owed you a coffee.” Clint slid over a coffee as Elena took a seat across from him. 

“Do you always buy extra coffee?” 

“Nah,” Clint said. “That one was for Tony—hey man! Look who showed up.” 

Elena turned to find Tony entering the shop. He halted at the sight of her, a wide grin spreading on his face. “Fancy seeing you here, Dumpling.” He rubbed his hands together. “We really need to talk about the fees for that car you wrecked.” 

Her face fell. “I’m really sorry—” 

“Joking. I’m joking.” Tony adjusted his glasses, sighing as he pulled up a chair. “I forgot how not funny you are.” 

“I really am sorry, Tony.” 

He met her eyes, nodding once. “I am too.” 

“And me,” Clint said. 

“That’s nice,” Tony muttered. “A mutual apology. Next, we’ll be kissing each other’s feet.” 

“How did you know I was here in Houston?” Elena decided to change the subject. 

“Your friend… what was her name? Tina?” 

“Christine,” Clint offered. 

“Yeah, her. She managed to contact us. Had a text from you.” 

Elena’s eyes lit up in realization. It was the text she had tried to send on the bus before she passed out. She had shared her location. So it was sent, after all. 

“So how are you free?” Tony asked, leaning forward. “Where’s Whitehall?” 

Elena sighed, burying her face into her hands. “It’s a really long story,” she groaned. “But I know where she’ll be tomorrow.” 

Clint raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.” 

“We’re going to San Antonio.”


	29. Daisy

It was Sunday, and that meant in approximately ten hours, the cells would be back. Elena sighed, rubbing her wrist. They had landed at the San Antonio airport an hour ago, but no one made any move to leave. Lieselotte wasn’t going to be out and about at eight in the morning. 

As far as she knew, the plan was to split up and walk around the riverwalk. Everyone had agreed that it was the most reasonable place for Lieselotte to be, and it was only about ten minutes away from the airport. Elena hummed to herself. Would Will be there? 

If he was a part of Hydra, then she didn’t see why not. But was he a part of Hydra? That was the question Elena didn’t know the answer to. It made sense for him to be given the fact that both Daniel and Lieselotte Whitehall were members, but was it really possible to fake the emotions in his voice when he spoke? Or the body language that reminded her of a puppy? 

In the end, the question that kept coming up concerned neither Lieselotte or Will but their father. Daniel Whitehall. The root of the problem was always the best place to start. It was always where she started as a doctor. 

Footsteps drew her out of her thoughts, and Elena had barely started to look up when a bag of potato chips landed in her lap. Natasha took a seat next to her, crossing her legs together. She nodded a greeting. 

“How’re you holding up?” 

Elena forced a smile. “Good, I think. Just thinking.” 

“I could tell. You haven’t stopped thinking the moment you woke up when Steve brought you in.” Natasha rolled her eyes at the look Elena gave her. “You always have this look. And have you noticed yourself massaging your wrist? You do it all the time..” 

Elena blinked. “I suppose I do,” she said quietly. “I don’t know how that started.” 

Tearing open the chips, Elena offered some to Natasha before popping a few into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully, slow and deliberate. 

Natasha shook her head. “You’re doing it again,” she said. 

“Hm?” 

“Thinking.” 

“Oh.” 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need to take a page from Tony’s book,” Natasha continued on. “Talk for once. Be reckless. You’re always just stuck in your head. We can help.” 

Elena swallowed. “I talk.” 

“Not much.” 

“Well, what do you want to know?” 

“It’s not about what I want to know,” Natasha sighed. “What do you want?” 

Elena wanted everything to be over, but she sure wasn’t going to get that. She moved to rub her wrist, pausing midway when she realized the action. She sighed. “Do you know anything about Whitehall?” 

Natasha arched a brow. “Out of everyone here, I think you know her the best.” 

“No, not Lieselotte.” Elena shook her head. “Her father. Daniel Whitehall.” 

Natasha cocked her head to the side, and she leaned back, taking another handful of chips. “He was a big officer back in World War Two,” she said. “Agent Carter, the founder of SHIELD, was the one who captured him. In 1989, he was granted parole. From what I understand, he changed his name to Daniel then.” 

“What did he do?” 

“He was a doctor like you,” she said. “He went on many expeditions to recover artifacts.” 

That didn’t tell her anything. Slumping down, Elena sighed. Maybe Daniel Whitehall wasn’t the root of the problems. 

Natasha thought for a moment, knitting her brows together. “There’s one thing though. The Obelisk. He was obsessed with that thing. Something about blue angels and turning people into stone.” 

Elena stopped listening after that. Her blood chilled. She’d heard that before, turning people into stone. Was that what Lieselotte was after? The Obelisk? She clenched her jaw. It certainly made sense. 

“Alright kids,” Tony walked out from the cockpit, his loud voice causing everyone to turn. “Time to play.” 

They split up into groups, and Elena was pleased to find herself with Natasha. They separated as soon as they left the airport, taking separate paths down to the river. It was a pleasant enough day, and the sun warmed the chilly autumn air. There was barely anyone out, but that was only the morning. When evening came, the crowds would be upon them. 

Lieselotte didn’t make an appearance the whole day, and Elena was having none of it. They had already circled the river at least seven times, and she was nowhere. Perhaps, they were wrong. The riverwalk wasn’t the place to be. 

Sighing, Elena plopped down on a bench. She closed her eyes. “Hey Nat,” she muttered. “If Lieselotte wants me that bad, she’ll be looking for us right? If we just sat and waited, wouldn’t she come to us?” 

No answer. Elena frowned, cracking open an eye. She jolted when Natasha was nowhere to be found. She gulped, getting up on her feet. The crowd was bigger now, and the smells of restaurants filled the air as people strolled around looking for their dinner. 

Elena was quickly pushed into the crowd, and she had no choice but to walk. She kept her eyes peeled for Natasha, or any of the others. Cold shivers ran down her spine when she could find no one. Why did the riverwalk have to be fifteen miles long? They could’ve been anywhere. 

Biting down on her lip, Elena stepped to the side. She stood on her toes, searching the crowd. It was the perfect time for Lieselotte to just show up, and a fight alone was the last thing she needed. Even with the knife hidden in her boot, she wasn’t confident. Who knew how many agents Lieselotte had under her fingertips? 

Then, a wisp of blonde caught her eye. 

Elena choked at the head of gold that was walking away from her. It was Lieselotte. It had to be. Cursing, Elena looked around for the Avengers. Where were they when she needed them? 

Elena clenched her fists, shaking her boot to make sure the knife was still there. With no choice, she had to follow. If she didn’t, Elena doubted she’d be able to find her again. Pushing through the crowd, Elena could not only feel her heartbeat increasing she could hear it. Her hands trembled, and a shout was caught in her throat. 

Why was she chasing after the person she hated so much? It was like she wanted to suffer when the option to run with ignorant bliss was right there. Elena gritted her teeth, shaking her head. 

She couldn’t choose the latter. She had already tried it once, after all. If running didn’t work, then she’d have to stop. She wasn’t insane. 

Instead, Elena would have to hunt, but would that make Lieselotte the prey? It felt wrong calling her that. She was strong and fierce, cold like the blade of a knife. She was ice that stood against the sun. 

But Elena didn’t want to be the prey. She was tired of running. Tired of fighting. She just wanted to end it all, and if being a predator was what it took, then she’d do it. Because predators can hunt other predators. 

Elena climbed the stairs out of the riverwalk, only barely managing to catch a glimpse of a shadow that crossed the street before disappearing. And there was only one thing across the street. 

The Alamo. 

The base of a rallying cry and a symbol of courage and resistance. Elena laughed, but she had no humor. Her eyes darkened as she cracked her knuckles. It was a fitting place. 

Crossing the street, Elena swerved past all the tourists. She frowned when she found the historical site closed, but the pale eyes that watched her from the inside was no doubt the Hydra agent. 

She’d just have to break in.


	30. Edelweiss

The sun was beginning to set, releasing a blanket of darkness over the landscape. The shadows slithered out of their hiding places, and they cast a protective shield around Elena’s form, wavering when she moved and mingling when she stilled. The moon was barely visible in the sky, a waning crescent that would soon become a new moon, a black moon. 

That was who Elena felt like as she pressed her back against a wall, straining her ears for any trace of Lieselotte. Not Elena, the bright halo, but Heiyue, the darkest night that the world had ever seen. A predator hunting another predator, prowling through the dark in the midst of murky lights. She was a blooming flower, releasing her petals from the tight bulb it had been stuck in. She was the fire that would finally burn the ice. 

Her steps were quiet, her breathing slow. A bird cawed in the distance, but silence still had the overpowering presence. People talked about hearing a pin drop or a fly buzzing past, but here, Elena could have heard the dead whispering. Deathly was the only word she had for it. 

Slipping her knife out of her boot, Heiyue gripped the hilt. Her knuckles were white in the dark, blinding even compared to everything else. Swallowing, she took a long breath before continuing her way. 

She had never been to the Alamo before, and sneaking inside like a thief was probably not the best first impression she got of it. Every wall could have been hiding an enemy, every door could have been concealing a soldier, and every corner could have had a lurking Lieselotte. She could be anywhere, waiting with her pale blue eyes and golden crown. Heiyue could just imagine the malice in her voice and the sneer on her fair face of lies. 

A stretch of stone, vulnerable to the moonlight faced her. It was probably the only place where moonlight could make such an appearance, and it was located conveniently between Heiyue and the waiting arms of the next length of shadows. Heiyue narrowed her eyes, building up the strength to run past to the other side. 

Her feet twitched in anticipation, and her fingers only grasped tighter onto her knife. Again, it was the perfect time for Lieselotte to strike. Heiyue sucked in a breath and nodded once before sprinting past the moonlight. To her relief, Lieselotte didn’t pop out from behind her own shadow. But it was a shame, really. She was ready to end that monster and get the heck out of there. 

“Elena,” a voice called out to her. A hand reached out to touch her shoulder, which went cold with her heart that stopped for a second. 

Heiyue spun around, knife at the ready. Just what was Lieselotte playing at. 

A surprised yelp sounded, and this time, the sound broke the silence. It shattered like glass, and the shards fell over them like rain. Heiyue paused, staring at the form in front of her. Not Lieselotte. Will. 

“What are you doing?” Heiyue lowered the knife, her glare hard like rock. “Are you telling me you’re actually in Hydra?” 

“No!” he gasped, his hands still raised in surrender. His face was white, and it made his eyes look more like ice, but it never quite reached that level of freezing. And it was a different ice. Not the stone cold, indifferent pairs that Lieselotte had, but a creeping fear that chilled her deeper than the bone. 

“No,” Will repeated. “I’m not Hydra, not like them. Not like Swi—Lieselotte.” His voice cracked at the change, and Heiyue could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes before he blinked. 

Her voice still didn’t waver though, her stance still strong when she spoke. “How do I know if you’re telling the truth?” 

Will couldn’t answer that. He only shook his head, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. He couldn’t seem to form any words, but Heiyue didn’t blame him. She couldn’t either, and she could feel herself breaking the longer she watched him. 

Elena looked away, her grip on the knife loosening. She let out a breath, swinging her head back over when Will spoke. 

“I asked her about everything,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry about everything. I just—I had no idea, Elena. That she was doing all of this.” 

Elena closed her eyes and sighed when Will couldn’t hold in his tears any longer. She gulped, releasing her hold on the knife. Crouching down, she leaned against a wall, rubbing her wrist. “Why is she doing this, Will?” she asked. 

Will slid down next to her, wiping away his tears. His breath was shaky as he spoke, voice uneven. It took all of his strength to utter his words, and it hurt to have him in this state. Elena wanted to stop him, but she needed to know. 

“It’s all my fault,” he whispered. “It’s because of me she’s doing all this.” 

Will leaned back, letting his head loll to the side. He looked at his hands as if they were engulfed with hot blood. As if he was the villain all along. His eyes dulled. “Dad… I’ve already told you he isn’t the best father. I don’t even know if he knows I exist.” 

He took another breath, shivering at a gust of wind. The sun had completely set now, and the small light of the crescent moon wasn’t enough to break the darkness. Will closed his eyes. “Dad’s always been crazy about this thing that turned the living into stone. He’d come home in the middle of night talking to himself about it. Sometimes, he even came screaming in frustration that he couldn’t figure it out.” 

The Obelisk. Elena didn’t doubt that it was what Will was talking about it. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her touch, not bothering to suppress his surprise. Will met her eyes, forcing a smile. 

“Lisa—Lieselotte, she hated him for it. For not being a dad like he should have. She  _ still _ hates him.” He cleared his throat, letting another blanket of silence settle over them before continuing. 

“She wants to make something better than the Obelisk,” he said. “To get his attention for us. For me. I’m—I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

“Why are you sorry?” Elena murmured. “None of it was your doing.” 

“But I exist,” Will sighed. “And it’s selfish.” 

“Will?” 

He glanced at her, blinking. “What?” 

“You’re not selfish. You never have been.” 

“You know that isn’t—” 

Elena stopped listening when a shadow caught the corner of her eye. She grabbed the knife, pushing herself up. “Lieselotte,” she called out. 

The Hydra agent walked into the moonlight. She scowled. “Wilhelm,” she said. “You’re not supposed to be here.” 

Will didn’t answer, still on the ground. His bleak eyes stared at Lieselotte, processing. Or trying to process everything. Elena stood in front of him. 

“Lieselotte,” she repeated. “Lisa. You don’t have to do this. You don’t need—” 

“Shut up,” she snapped. “Will, come here.” 

“We can talk this out,” Elena said louder, embedding her knife down into the ground. She raised her bare hands, gulping. “There are—” 

Lieselotte fired the gun, and Elena froze at the bullet that was going straight for her. 


	31. Purple Hyacinth

Elena was falling. A sharp force had dug itself into her side, shoving her to the ground. She landed hard on her arm, sending a jolt of pain through her body. Gasping, she swung around just in time to watch the bullet hit Will. A scream built up in her throat. 

“No!” She heaved herself off the ground, horror passing through her. She reached for him, stilling at the wound on his chest. Only, it wasn’t a wound. It was stone. And it was spreading fast and flawlessly. Her serum was perfect, but Elena hated it. So much. 

She gulped when Will slowly met her eyes, pain clearly reflecting in them. Still, he smiled and tried to move his hands only to find them already stone. He looked down at them in wonder, watching the stone travel down to his legs, to his feet and toes. His neck would be next before finally, his head. Looking back up before it was too late, he smiled again. 

“I’m okay,” he managed to choke out. His voice was scratchy, strained. His vocal chords were failing. “I’m okay,” he repeated. “I’m…” He struggled for breath, and Elena opened her mouth. 

“Shh,” she whispered. “Don’t strain yourself. Everything’s going to be fine. You’re going to be okay. I’ll—” 

He gave a tiny twitch of his head, and his breathing was almost nonexistent. He opened his mouth for one final push. “I’m sorry,” said his lips as they turned to stone. His blue eyes were now porcelain white, lifeless and empty. You wouldn’t have been able to tell they were once a part of a living person. 

The only thing remotely lifelike about him was now the pink tint on his cheeks. It was the only part of him that didn’t fade away. And it refused to go away. Elena raised a trembling hand, reaching out to touch him. She hoped beyond any hope that maybe he was still alive, but there was nothing. He was so very hard and cold unlike the warm, lively boy she once knew. Will was dead. 

A sob racked up, and her chest was on fire. Wrapping her arms around the stone, Elena cried. A part of her expected him to come alive again like it was in fairytales, but life wasn’t a fairytale. It was far from it. 

“You killed him!” Lieselotte’s wild screech sliced through the cold silence, and Elena barely registered being pried away from his body and thrown onto the ground. 

She whimpered as Lieselotte drove her body into a wall. Blood pooled around her. Twisting around, Elena tackled the Hydra agent. “No,” she screamed. “ _ You  _ killed him!” 

Receiving a punch to the stomach, Elena gasped. She stumbled back into a wall and ducked down. She drove her bloody arm into Lieselotte’s knees, and she fell onto the ground. Elena punched her, and she didn’t even care when she felt her nose breaking from underneath her knuckles. 

Lieselotte only seemed to fight back stronger, flipping around to slam Elena’s body to the ground. She snarled as she brought a rock down onto her side, mercilessly pulling at her hair. Elena cried out, driving her elbow back. Lieselotte promptly let go, and Elena scrambled away. 

Her tears were tributaries, joining together into a salty lake. They mixed with her blood, dark red and sticky. Elena groaned on her knees, gasping as she grasped onto the wall. She pulled herself up, clenching her bloody fists. 

“You’re dead,” she managed, throwing herself once again at Lieselotte. Bringing her knee up to her ribs, Elena shouted when Lieselotte retaliated with a blow to the head. Elena crumbled onto the ground, breathing heavily as she rolled to the side to avoid the next blow. Swinging her leg, Lieselotte tripped over it, falling next to her. 

Screaming, Elena punched Lieselotte so hard that her own knuckles cracked. She swallowed a scream when Lieselotte grabbed her wounded arm, and her head suddenly exploded. Her chest constricted, and her vision ebbed away. 

The cells. They were back and at the worst possible moment. 

Elena couldn’t see a thing, swinging wildly. She hit a wall, and Lieselotte took the opportunity to hurl another rock at her. The pain was unbearable, and Elena screamed again. It wasn’t even a scream. It was a shriek. 

In the midst of it all, new voices began shouting. Bullets were fired, and knives were unsheathed. The Avengers were finally here. 

Elena groaned, bringing herself up to a sitting position. Her arm weighed a million tons, and it wanted to drag lifelessly on the ground. The cells burst into life, continuing on as if nothing bad was happening. 

Lieselotte’s voice rang in the night, and like magic, soldiers jumped out from the shadows. Elena brought her hands to her head, her vision struggling to keep up. There were too many cells. She couldn’t see a thing. 

Crying, Elena wiped the tears away with her bloody hands. She focused on her breathing, doing her best to ignore the impending pain that shook her body. Her sight was dull and unfocused, but Lieselotte was like a beacon. Elena built herself up, piece by piece. Pulling herself together, she lifted her chin. 

She rose onto her feet, wobbling to the side. Balance was eventually found, and she didn’t waste a second in lunging forward. Lieselotte was ready for her, and the two of them barreled away from the other commotion. 

Elena forgot about her pain when she thrusted her fist into Lieselotte. Their moves were too messy to be a dance, too unsteady for a constant rhythm. It was pure desperation, and revenge lusted in both of their eyes. All for Wilhelm Whitehall. 

Terror coursed through Elena when she realized Lieselotte got the upper hand. She choked in her grip, feet flailing from underneath her. Tears welled up in Elena’s eyes, and she bit down on Lieselotte’s arm. 

With her grip loosened, Elena wrangled herself out of her grasp, stumbling away. She gasped, huffing for air as her hands came up to touch her bruised throat. It didn’t take long for Lieselotte to leap again, and Elena screamed. 

She couldn’t do anything to stop Lieselotte from ramming her face into a wall. Elena immediately crumbled, and the cells before her slowly blinked out of sight as her vision went black. Little did she know that it would be the last time she would be able to see them.


	32. Marigold

Days began to pass, and eventually, weeks would too. Elena had not woken once, and there was nothing else for the doctors and surgeons to do. Their only choice was to wait it out and hope that Elena was fighting. 

And she was. She fought with all her dwindling strength, refusing to back down with a ferocity that she had never known before. Lieselotte was  _ not  _ going to win. She couldn’t. Will’s sacrifice couldn’t be left in vain. He needed to be avenged. 

Elena fought several battles, and she pushed herself over the limit. Several battles were lost, but many were won. It was like any other war with its victories, losses, and horrors that no one should have had to experience. Elena won the war, but the price was heavy. Almost too heavy. 

Low whispers drifted into her ear, and Elena finally woke up. She cracked open her eyes, meeting darkness. It was a strange dark. It wasn’t black or gray, and Elena couldn’t accurately describe it with a color. It was just nothingness. 

She waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark, but they never did. Elena frowned, shifting in her spot. The talking stopped, and she could feel eyes darting to her position. Feel but not see. Lifting her head up, Elena felt a pit form in her stomach as a slinking suspicion crept into her thoughts. 

Her arm throbbed, and Elena tightened her jaw. Gritting her teeth, she bit back a yelp. Already, a headache began blaring its sirens behind her eyes. Sitting up, Elena felt a wave of vomit traveling up her throat. She swallowed it, and the sour taste stayed on her tongue. 

She blinked once. Twice. Three times and yet, nothingness was still what she saw. 

“Elena?” Christine’s small voice broke through her thoughts. “How are you feeling?” 

Turning her head, Elena bit on her lip. Exactly which direction was she supposed to face? She gulped. “Christine?” 

Her voice was meek, softer than she would’ve liked. It was more of a whisper, and Elena couldn’t bring herself to speak any louder. Her chest was no longer on fire, but the burnt wood was just as bad. Croaking, Elena wrapped her arms around her blanket. 

“What’s going on?” 

“You’re—you’re back here at the hospital. Back in New York,” Christine whispered. Elena felt a hand cover her own, and their fingers intertwined. Elena squeezed it tightly when Christine spoke again. “How are you feeling?” 

Elena couldn’t answer that. She let herself fall back against her bed. Her whole body had stiffened, and no matter how many breathing techniques she tried, Elena couldn’t relax. She closed her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath. 

“What is wrong with me?” 

Christine held Elena’s hand between both of her own. A sob escaped her body, and she leaned forward, clutching the hand like a lifeline. Elena felt the pit in her stomach grow, feeling her entire body become a void of nothing. She didn’t even need to hear the answer to know what was wrong. 

Except she did. Knowing that you had a problem wasn’t the same as being told that you did. The words out loud were like a life sentence in prison. It was like sentencing a person to death. 

“I’m sorry, Elena,” a new voice spoke. It prickled with familiarity, and a cry caught in Elena’s throat. She choked, opening her eyes. Still nothing. 

“We did all that we could,” Stephen continued. “There wasn’t—we couldn’t—Elena…” 

“Just say it,” Elena murmured, holding tighter onto Christine. She felt tears pricking her eyes. 

“Your arm is broken,” he said slowly. “There was internal bleeding in quite a few spots. And…” 

“And what, Stephen?” Her voice came out harsher than intended, stronger too. Elena blinked. Whether that was good or bad, she didn’t know. She didn’t want to know. 

“And severe optic nerve damage.” 

The words sounded foreign in her ears, and Elena didn’t know how much tighter she could grasp onto Christine before either one of them got hurt. She swallowed hard. “And the result?” 

“Permanent total blindness.” 

That was it. The greatest bane of Dr. Elena Fan. Total blindness. It was funny, but Elena didn’t laugh. It was the one thing that was worse than seeing cells, the one thing that made her miss it. And of course, it just had to happen to her. 

Elena took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. She wetted her lips, forgetting all about the pain in her arm. Curling her fingers into a fist, Elena gritted her teeth. She closed her eyes when her tears started streaming down like little waterfalls. She didn’t know what to say, and no one knew how to comfort her. Only the blind knew what it was like to be blind, and this was a path Elena would have to travel alone. 

“Is Nic here?” she finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity. And maybe it was an eternity. 

“I’m here.” 

Nic’s familiar voice washed over Elena, and she let out a wail. The whole crew was there, and she didn’t doubt that the three of them had forced their superiors to let it happen. Three doctors. Three of the best doctors she had ever known had operated on her and still failed. Elena couldn’t help but wonder if she could have done better, but the thought soon evaporated. 

She couldn’t have. She had been away for too long. Doing experiments on serums was a whole different thing from digging sharp tools into a person’s body. Besides, if Stephen couldn’t do it, if he couldn’t even do it with two other doctors, no one could. Sighing, Elena wiped her tears away. 

“I missed you guys,” she said. 

Nic sat on the opposite side from Christine, and he held her other hand, careful of the broken arm. Elena felt his fingers stroking her skin in circles, and she didn’t say anything when his tears fell. 

Stephen pulled up a chair to sit beside Christine. He didn’t say anything, but his breathing was enough. His presence was good enough for her. 

All of them were good enough for her, and it pained Elena to not be able to see them ever again. All she had was months old images of Christine, and years of distant memories of Stephen and Nic. 

Taking another deep breath, Elena gulped. She'd have to make do with their voices. She’d just have to make do without her sight. Because what other choice did she have. 

Moving to sit up again, Elena pulled her hands away from Christine and Nic. She tried to smile. 

“Can we get lunch?”


	33. Lotus

A gentle breeze brushed against Elena’s hair, sending her tresses into a waltz around her head. Her eyes were sunkissed, reflecting the morning lights, and the usual color of her musty, dead irises brightened into a varnished violin. She lifted her head up, and in turn, her arms too. They conducted the symphony of the white, fluffy clouds that drifted across the tinted blue sky. 

The ocean was blue too, deeper and trimmed with white waves. The gulls called into the abyss, and the fish leapt out of the water like they were playing a game. The sand was white, sifting through her toes as she walked. It was grainy, but the softness made up for it. 

Behind her, a range of mountains shot up into the sky. They plateaued, just tall enough to feel the clouds. They looked grand in the sunrise, and the dark mountainside rock joined with the light, soft colors of the horizon. 

It smelled heavenly. The sea air mixed with the crisp one on the mountains, making the blowing wind that grazed her pink cheeks like drinking a glass of golden lemonade. Elena breathed it all in. 

A deep sense of calm settled in her stomach. And for once, Elena was truly relaxed. There was not a care in the world that was able to protrude her thick skin, instead bouncing off like a ball. There was nowhere for her to be, and nowhere she would rather be. Everything was splendid. 

Confusion spread through her veins when it all disappeared, leaving her surrounded inside a dark, brick wall. Pain jerked her out of her slumber. Elena’s eyes shot open, and she gasped for air. Rolling off the soft bed, her knees touched down onto the carpet. Her blanket was tangled in her body, weaving between her feet and looping around her shoulders. 

Her chest was being assaulted by her rapidly beating heart. Cold sweat layered her head. Elena thrashed, struggling to escape the clutches of her blanket. Her arms flailed. Pain exploded in her right. A wave of dizziness went off in her head. Landing on the palms of her hands, Elena heaved. She collapsed, clutching her right arm. 

What was happening? Why was it so dark? Why couldn’t she see anything? 

As she finally shimmied out of the blanket, Elena lurched onto her feet. Her back hit a wall. Was it a wall? She didn’t know. It was too dark. Light. She needed light. Where was the light? 

Elena huffed, letting out short, sharp breaths. The dark void was spread out beneath her. It was above her too, and to her left and right. In front of her and behind, it was everywhere. She felt tears springing in her eyes. They trailed down, dripping onto her fingers. Some of them even made it onto her lip, bursting into a salty mess. It wasn’t like the ocean though. 

With a hand on her heart, Elena backed up into a corner. She let herself fall to the ground, and she made herself as small as possible. The void only got bigger, and Elena grabbed her hair. She pulled at it, and a scream began to bubble into existence. 

Her ears didn’t pick up the opening of a door, and the hurried footfalls were at a loss to her. She did, however, feel the hands that touched her own. Strong arms wrapped around her, and a low voice made it way into her eardrums. 

“Elena,” they said. “It’s alright. You’re alright, Elena.” 

The voice sounded so distant Elena almost didn’t hear it. She shivered and pushed away, but the arms wouldn’t budge. She clenched her jaw, heart rate going up. A frog crawled into her throat. She couldn’t breathe. 

“Elena!” the voice tried again. It felt stronger this time, more forceful, but it fell short. It was softer, fading away. Elena’s throat went dry. Her hands trembled. 

“Can you hear me? Elena? Elena!” 

Sirens flaunted in her ears, and buzzing filled up the rest of the space. Elena sobbed. She finally broke free from the arms, and she tottered forward. She bumped into something, and cold metal seared itself into her skin. It burned the same way her sweat trailed down the side of her head. 

Something hit the ground, shattering like fireworks. She felt the pieces embedding into her skin as she pushed forward. She choked on herself. 

“Elena!” 

Elena couldn’t hear it anymore. She couldn’t feel. She couldn’t see. 

“Elena!” 

She couldn’t remember what she did next. Everything was all blurry. 

“ _ Heiyue! _ ” 

Elena stopped. Her heart skipped a beat. 

“Heiyue.” 

Blood returned to her ears, and her hands loosened. Her jaw fell slack, and Elena fell onto her knees. Her limbs fell loosely to her sides. She blinked. 

Nothing. 

“Heiyue,” the voice repeated. The hands found their way back onto Elena’s, and their warmth seeped into her skin. Air flew back into her lungs. 

“You’re okay now. You’re okay now, Heiyue.” 

Elena knew the voice. She recognized how the rise and falls of it butchered her name. “Steve?” 

“You’re okay now.” 

Okay. That was relative. Was she okay? She had no idea. 

Taking in a deep breath, Elena sighed. Her muscles were weary, and she could barely hold her weight up. She fell forward, but Steve caught her before she could hurt herself any more. Elena didn’t have the energy to protest as he lifted her up back into the hospital bed. 

“I told you to not call me that,” she coughed, letting her head fall against the pillow. 

“Sorry,” Steve said, letting out a breath of relief. “But you also said you wouldn’t respond to it.” 

Elena forced a laugh, and a tremor ran through her body. “Your pronunciation was so bad I didn’t know what you were saying.” 

Steve chuckled before sighing. “How are you feeling, Elena?” 

“I don’t think I need to answer that.” 

“I think you do.” 

Elena made a face, and she shifted in her position. Waving the comment away, she pursed her lip. “Will,” she said. “What happened to him?” 

“Who’s Will?” 

The sweetest, funniest person ever to have existed, and quite ironically, he was the same person to have saved her life. Elena didn’t say that though. “The… stone statue.” Elena paused and blinked. “What about Lieselotte?”

Elena didn’t need eyes to know that Steve had slumped down in defeat. She could hear the change in his breathing and the slight alteration of his pitch. She would’ve never noticed it if she was still able to see. 

“Sorry,” Steve said. “She got away. Tony tried chasing after her, but it’s like she just vanished into thin air.” 

“Oh…” Elena trailed off. That meant she was still out there, turning more innocent people into stone. She frowned, leaning back into the mattress. She blinked when Steve spoke. 

“What happened after you left?” he whispered. 

Elena didn’t know where to start. She opened her mouth, clenching her fists as she thought back to when she was working in the lab. She closed her eyes. Sighing, Elena rubbed her wrist and started explaining the events all the way from when she tried visiting the old lab all the way to where she was lying now. Steve was a good listener, never stopping her when she spoke too fast and never speaking up when she stopped to think. 

“I’m sorry,” he said when she finally finished. 

Elena snorted. “You’re awfully sorry about a lot of things,” she said. “None of it was you. It was always Lieselotte.” 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help.” 

Shrugging, Elena turned away. “I was the one who left.” 

“I’m sorry for that too.” 

Elena didn’t have any words for that. She heard the shuffling of feet as Steve stood, and she flipped back over so that her body faced him. 

“You should rest,” he said. “We can talk later with everyone else. As a team.” 

He turned to leave, and he barely even took a step when Elena spoke up. “This is my path alone, Steve. I can’t ask you to help.” 

Elena could feel his eyes on hers. She gulped when he turned back. He took her hand, opening it so that the palm faced upwards. 

“I almost forgot,” he said. 

A cool metal dropped onto her hand, and Steve closed her fingers over it. Elena blinked. It was a small thing, and it was the shape of a circle. She knitted her eyebrows together. “Is this what I think it is?” she asked. “You know I don’t like these things.” 

Steve guided her hand down to her heart. Elena could imagine the soft smile that he cracked. “Maybe it’s time for change then,” he said. He paused. “No pun intended.” 

Stepping back, Steve cleared his throat. “I’ll be back soon.” 

Elena waited for the door to close before opening her hands. She stroked the metal with her fingers, tracing the indentations. She smiled. Steve was right. Maybe it was time to change. 

Breathing in, Elena let her hand close again. She gripped tightly on the penny, letting her eyes fall shut. She’d just have to start with a simple thing, and if that meant accepting the penny, then she’d do it. 

The time to be Dr. Fan was over, and it was no good to go backwards and be Heiyue. 

It was time to move forward.


	34. Tansy

When you hear people talking about being blind, you never hear about the little things. And quite frankly, it was the little things that bothered Elena the most. After she had been checked out of the hospital, she returned to Avengers Tower. It was hard to adjust to a new daily routine, and Elena found that having her disability was more irritating than heartbreaking. 

She wasn’t sad for herself. Optic nerves couldn’t regenerate, and that was final. That was the difference between total blindness and seeing cells. With seeing cells, there was still a tiny chance she would be able to see again. 

Elena had lost track on how many times she crashed into a wall or knocked over something fragile. Her nerves probably hated her. If she slammed into enough things, who knew what would go next. She could’ve lost her smell or taste, or even worse, her hearing. The others never complained when she broke anything, but Elena did. She felt bad that they had to clean up for her messes. It was hers, after all. She caused it, so it was her duty to fix it. 

What bothered her the most was that Natasha had to come in her room every morning to affirm that she had dressed properly and if her hair was done right. It was such a simple task and yet she couldn’t do it herself. Then again, dreaming with vision was pretty bad. She always woke up in disappointment, thinking that maybe her blindness was a nightmare. And obviously, it never was. 

Sighing, Elena had a hand stretched out in front of her as she stumbled down the hallway. Bruce had called for her through Jarvis, and she had refused the help of the others. She needed to figure out how to live with herself. She couldn’t live her whole life relying on someone else. Besides, they had already done so much for her already. 

_ It’s time for change.  _

She bit down, rubbing her wrist. Change was easier said than done. It had already been too late anyway. She couldn’t just turn back and ask for help right after she had rejected it. There was a line between what she should be able to do alone and what she needed help with. 

Elena cursed under her breath when she realized she had no idea where she had wandered off to. She blinked. Why did the tower have to be so big? 

“Jarvis?” She finally relented. “Where am I?” 

“You are in the games room, miss. Dr. Banner is waiting for you in the labs. Would you like me to find the quickest route?” 

“Yes, thank you.” 

It took much difficulty, but Elena eventually made it to the lab. Stumbling, Elena almost yelped as she hit the glass door. Bruce was at her side immediately. 

“Careful,” he said, drawing her away from the glass and leading her inside. “You don’t want to hurt yourself even more.” 

“Right,” she sighed. “Why did you need me?” 

“Tony and I have been working,” he said, taking her hand. 

Elena furrowed her eyebrows when he strapped something around both of her wrists. It felt like leather, but she felt metal when she touched the top of it. There was a strange design, and it was like a foreign language. 

“What is this?” she asked. 

“A pair of vambraces,” Bruce said. “We wanted to help with your condition, so we tried replicating electroreception.” 

Elena frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Basically, it’s the ability to comprehend electrical fields to get a better sense of your surroundings.” 

“Does it work?” 

Bruce reached down to her wrists and pushed down a button. A whirring sound began buzzing, and Elena closed her eyes. She gasped when her fingertips began to tingle. She was able to imagine her surroundings. Elena couldn’t quite describe the sensation, but she was able to “see” the outline of things. 

She was able to “see” again. Or at least, the closest to seeing she would ever get. 

Opening her eyes, she turned to Bruce. A smile spread on her face, and she pulled him into a hug. “Thank you!” she cried, a frog caught in her throat. “Thank you so much. Bruce, I… I don’t know what else to say.” 

He laughed and began to respond, but it was cut short when Tony burst into the room. His eyes were wide, and his breath was hard. Elena had never seen him so frazzled. 

“Dumpling! Banner!” He waved an envelope. “You might want to see this.” 

Groaning, Elena already knew what was coming. She had been expecting it, and it had already been enough time for her arm to heal. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought Lieselotte had forgotten everything. Her face still fell though, and the happiness faded away. Ignorant bliss may not have been a good thing, but it was still bliss. “Lieselotte?” she guessed. “Where did she say to meet?” 

“How did you know?” 

Elena shrugged and crossed her arms. Her eyes hardened. “I happen to know my enemies very well. Now, where did she want to meet?” 

“The old lab,” Tony said, reading off the letter. “Tomorrow morning.” 

That didn’t surprise her either. 

Elena slouched down, rubbing her wrist. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Of course, she had to choose the one place she couldn’t physically stand. Swallowing, she nodded. “I should prepare.” 

Tony stopped her before she could leave. “We’re not even going to talk about this?” he asked. 

“I have to go,” she whispered. “Will… I need to—I need to make sure he didn’t die in vain.” 

“We’re going with you.” 

“No you’re not.” 

Tony wasn’t having any of it. “Dumpling, have you learned nothing? Every single time you go off on your own, you end up half dead. The cycle’s only going to keep on going. That or you’re going to end up dead for real.” 

Elena looked down, biting on her lip. The penny in her pocket seemed to weigh a ton, burning through her clothes. She reached in her pocket to touch it, twirling it around her fingers. Change, she reminded herself. She needed to change. 

Sucking in a breath, she nodded slowly. “Okay,” she whispered. “But this is  _ my _ war. Lieselotte is mine.” 

Tony chuckled, shaking his head. He punched her in the shoulder. “Already done.” 

“Good.” 


	35. Valerian

Elena’s boots clacked against the concrete ground. Her hands were stuffed in her coat pocket, gripping onto her penny. It had become a good luck charm for her, and it was always in her pocket. Beside her, Natasha and Clint walked. They already had their weapons drawn, ready to attack in a split second. Steve and Thor had gone around the back, and Tony was flying above. They had all agreed that Bruce should stay out of the battle. The Hulk would cause too many uncertain variables that they didn’t have the answer to. So instead, he stayed behind in the car where he would be at a safe distance to monitor. And if there was ever the need for him to take action, he was close enough to help. 

Elena drew in a deep breath. Her vambraces were secure around her wrist, and the buzzing of electricity was constant in her ears. Unlike her past endeavors, she was properly armed. Knives were hidden within her vambraces and at several other spots on her body, and a collapsible bow was with the quiver of arrows on her hip. 

Clenching her jaw, Elena bit down on her tongue to stop her trembling. She forced herself to keep her eyes open and at the ruins of the old lab. She needed to do this. She needed to stop Lieselotte once and for all, or die trying. Her fingers itched for action, and despite the long night of incessant pacing she had, her body was fully alert. It took all of her energy to stop herself from running. Both towards the lab and to Lieselotte and away as far as possible. 

Elena gulped, letting out a shaky breath. She tilted her head up to peer at the top of the ruined building, her step faltering. She blinked when Clint laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. Nodding at him and Natasha, she continued walking. 

The outside of the lab may have been standing with some cracks here and there, but the inside was a mess. Rubble was piled up like books piled up in libraries, and it was a wonder how so few support beams held up the building. It reminded Elena too much of Will’s apartment. 

Except the lab may have been in worse condition. It didn’t have Will to care for it, after all. 

A pang hit Elena’s chest, and she shuddered. She walked slowly, and her heels echoed. The building may as well collapse right there with all the disturbance, but Elena didn’t care. As long as Lieselotte was brought down, she would be okay with it. 

The look Natasha sent her erased those thoughts. She gulped and nodded. Change, she reminded herself. She was reframing. The Avengers were here with her this time, and they didn’t deserve to die. Not yet anyways. 

Lieselotte was waiting for them in the very room the experiment was held. The ground was littered with broken glass and stone, and if you looked closely, thousands of dollars had been lost for all the broken equipment. 

Sunlight filtered in through the broken roof. Elena took the first step inside, and the shingles that used to cover the hole above them cracked beneath her feet. She could feel Lieselotte’s eyes on hers. 

This was the person who had cursed her all these years. She had haunted her footsteps like a phantom and slithered into her thoughts like a worm. She was the one who started everything. 

And yet, Lieselotte was also the one who painted all the pictures in Will’s apartment. She was the neglected child, wearing a facade for the sake of her younger brother. She was a sister, and a good one too. 

She was an angel changed. A devil that had fallen to the deepest and darkest depths. She had gone to a place too far to be followed. Will had confirmed that for Elena with his explanations and endless apologies. And Lieselotte had proved it when she fired the gun.

Dark figures popped out of their corners as Natasha and Clint stepped in behind Elena. Elena had no eyes for them, and Lieselotte didn’t seem to either. 

It was finally time. The final battle. 

“Good luck,” Elena said, squeezing her penny for a second longer before unsheathing her knives. 

“Keep your luck,” Lieselotte spat. “You’re going to need it.” 

She didn’t even finish her sentence when she leapt at Elena. Raising her arms, Elena barely blocked the daggers in time. She pushed back against Lieselotte, who ducked to the side. Elena barreled onto the ground when Lieselotte sent her flying with a blow. She grinded her teeth together. 

Elena pulled herself from the ground and jumped on Lieselotte. Sweat was already pouring from her forehead like waterfalls. She slammed her shoulder into Lieselotte’s. Thrusting her knife forward, Elena yelped when she ducked and sweeped her feet out from underneath her. 

Elena didn’t waste any time when she landed on her behind. She rolled to the side before Lieselotte could stab her, scrambling onto her feet. She ran forward, swinging her knife. They were matched evenly for what seemed like a long while, but then a gunshot sounded. 

Gasping, Elena’s eyes widened. She could barely sense the gun in Lieselotte’s hands. But without her full sight, she couldn’t tell if she had been hit or if Lieselotte had missed. She hoped it was the former. 

Her back slammed against a wall, and Elena was snapped back to attention. She ducked down her head as Lieselotte attempted to punch her. Elena kneed her in the ribs, and Lieselotte fell onto the ground. 

Feeling lighthearted, Elena yelled a curse. She stumbled forward, landing on her knees. Elena pinned Lieselotte down, shooting a hand out to press against her neck at the vagus nerve. She passed out, and Elena huffed in a mix of relief and dread. 

Because all there was left to do was kill her. 

Hesitating, Elena swallowed on her spit. Her grip on her knife loosened, and she closed her eyes. Before the battle, she was already willing to kill despite the oaths she took to become a doctor. But that was her thinking Lieselotte would be awake. Which she wasn’t. 

Heiyue would have killed her with no doubt. Dr. Fan may have done it for all the things that had been taken from her. 

But Elena wasn’t sure if she could anymore. She dropped the knife, letting it clatter to the ground. She fell onto her back and sighed. 

Blood was sticky on her hands. No matter where she tried to wipe it away, there was always more. Was it her own? 

She let her hands rub around her body, and she closed her eyes when her fingers traced over a hole in her stomach. Electricity buzzed in her ear. So Lieselotte had managed to shoot her, after all. 

The sounds of the battle were dying down, and from the voices, Elena knew that they had won. She tried to smile, gazing up at the fluffy clouds that passed by. She imagined the blue color of the sky, the very same color of Will’s eyes. She heard the lapping ocean waves in her ears, and it overpowered the electricity. Even her vambraces were failing. 

But before she let herself go, the vambraces gave one last signal. Bruce had said something into his mouthpiece, sending a message. It sounded frantic, but that wasn’t what she noticed though. Elena sat up so fast she almost threw up. Explosions rang in her ear, and the lab finally collapsed. It had been rigged with explosives. 

She sensed the controller in Lieselotte’s hands, her thumb over the trigger. 

Elena’s mouth went dry, and she was buried underneath the last of the roof. The weight was unbearable with the wound in her stomach, but at least, Lieselotte would be beside her facing the same end. 

It was over. 


	36. (Epilogue) Lavender

“Boom, are you looking for this?” 

Elena blinked, cocking her head to the side. She frowned and turned towards at Tony and Thor. 

“Boom, are you looking—why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else, that story kills.” 

Cracking a smile, Elena shook her head. She brought her wine glass to her lips, and her chest tightened at Thor’s answer. She swallowed back a laugh, ducking away before Rhodey could say anything. 

She walked slowly through the crowds of people, which would have been easier if she wore her vambraces. But ever since the final battle against Lieselotte, Elena hadn’t put them on once, and she preferred to leave it at that. She smiled thoughtfully and took another sip of her wine as she finally found a wall she could stand against. Elena settled back and listened to the excited chattering, thinking back to a few months ago. 

She had truly thought that she was dead the moment the old lab collapsed on top of her. But for once, the world seemed to be on her side. She had woken up back in the hospital several days later to find herself alive. Elena still remembered the rush of emotions that crashed over her when she realized that the Avengers had saved her. 

Clint and Tony had been hospitalized with her, and Elena remembered the dread that had sunken when she realized that it was her fault. But the thought faded away after a long talk, and after it, Elena thought that she had never felt better. 

A month or two later, Elena finally purchased a new apartment and moved out of Avengers Tower. It wasn’t that she still disliked them. They were her friends, and Elena knew that if it came to it, she would return and fight another war. She knew Tony and Bruce were working on gadgets and weapons with her in mind for fun during their free time, and the few that Elena had tried turned out to be pretty awesome. 

She had gotten herself a new job as a biology teacher at the Midtown School of Science and Technology. It was hard at first, but Elena loved it there. 

“Fuck!” Elena jumped at a tap on her shoulder. She fumbled with her wine glass, thankfully not dropping it. “Natasha,” she hissed. “Don’t do that!” 

She half snorted and half scoffed. “What are you thinking about?” she asked. 

Elena sighed. “Everything.” 

“Do you regret any of it?” 

Did she? Elena pressed her lips together, crossing her arms. She took a breath, and her heart skipped. 

“No,” she finally said. “I like things the way they are.” 

She felt Natasha’s hand on her shoulder, and Elena smiled. She placed her glass down. “What?” she said, clearing her throat. 

“Nothing.” Natasha leaned towards her. “You’ve changed… that’s all.” 

Elena laughed. She reached a hand into her pocket. Like always, the penny was there. “I’ve been working on it,” she said. 

“Got a boyfriend yet?” 

Choking, Elena lightly punched Natasha in the shoulder. She coughed. “Of course not.” 

“Girlfriend?” 

“Natasha…” 

“What about the guy over there?” Natasha said. “He looks nice.” 

“Go back to bothering Steve.” 

“Have you met Helen Cho yet? She’s a doctor. Bruce was pretty impressed with her.” 

Elena pushed Natasha back and shook her head. Picking her glass back up, she sighed. “I’m going to need another drink if I’m going to last the whole night.” 

Natasha followed her through the crowd, taking her glass when they reached the bar. Elena muttered a thank you, pulling up a chair. She blinked when Bruce slipped in beside her. Steve followed suit, taking the seat on the other side of her. 

“Were you two waiting for me to come and pour you drinks?” Natasha said. 

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Steve laughed as he leaned forward to grab his own drink. 

Laughing, Elena pushed her wine glass back. She shook her head, raising a hand to cover her mouth. She turned away to face the party. 

It was in full swing, and all the talking covered up the familiar rock music that played in the background. Elena could hear Thor’s loud laugh through all the voices. Tony’s snarky comment wasn’t far behind, and she could even hear Clint yelling about something. The air smelled of all types of alcohol mixed together. Beer, wine, cider, it was all there. 

Elena relaxed at the clinking of glasses, smiling at the thumping of dancing feet. She never thought that she would grow to love it, but after so many years, it was refreshing. She snapped out of her thoughts when Bruce called her name. 

“Huh?” She turned back, and her hand almost slapped her wine glass flying. “Shit!” she gasped, steadying it. Her heart almost left her chest. 

“Don’t say that,” Natasha chuckled. “Steve doesn’t like it.” 

“Not this again,” Steve groaned as Elena turned to him. 

She blinked. “Wasn’t there cursing in Avatar?” 

“Don’t you get on this too.” 

“Steve, it’s the twenty-first century.” 

“Heiyue,” he warned, but Elena only laughed. 

She took a swig of her wine as Bruce spoke. “You guys want to do anything?” 

“Pool?” Natasha suggested. 

“Choose a game I can actually play,” Elena sighed. 

“Didn’t you buy a board game before you moved out?” Steve said. “Do you still have it here?” 

Elena shot up in her seat. A wide grin spread on her face, and she laughed. “Yes,” she exclaimed. “The Game of Life! That’s perfect. I’ll go get it.” 

Hurrying away, Elena moved past the crowds. She climbed up a set of stairs, heading to the elevator. When she finally found the box in her old suite, Elena paused. She wondered how Will was doing wherever he was in the world. Was he content with things the way they were? Happy? 

God, she hoped so. She knew so. 

Thinking back to her time with him, she closed her eyes. If there was one thing Lieselotte was right about, it was Will. He was a small, pure daisy that stood against the world, withstanding anything and everything that came at his way. That was what flowers did, wasn’t it? 

They bloom every season, opening themselves up. They were easily snapped in half, but with the right and proper care, they could regrow and blossom again. They were a little thing, small, fragile, and easily overlooked. Elena didn’t overlook them though. Not anymore. Because once upon a time, Elena called flowers beautiful.


End file.
